Rhizosphere Microbial Diversity Research Articles

Short-term plant species impact on microbial community structure in soils with long-term agricultural history

The goal of our study was to capture the short-term effects of individual plant species on an established microbial community in a soil with a well-defined agricultural history. Using biochemical and molecular techniques we quantified the effects of plant species on changes in the soil microbial community over an 8-week time-course. We conducted a greenhouse experiment using field soil from a site that was managed as a Zea mays monoculture for over 50 years. The conditioned soil provided a baseline from which changes in microbial community composition through the effects of newly introduced plants could be determined. Within a short time frame (8 weeks), introduced plants influenced the soil microbial community in ways unique to each plant. Some species (Fagopyrm esculentum and xTriticosecale spp.) resulted in an increase of total microbial community richness, diversity and the stimulation of new microbial species not associated with the legacy vegetation. Other plants (Vicia villosa and Lolium multiflorum) tended to reduce community diversity. We suggest root surface area is good general predictor of rhizosphere microbial community diversity, but in some cases other plant traits may have dominant influence on plant-induced changes in microbial community composition.

Efficacy of bacterial seed treatments for the control of Fusarium verticillioides in maize

Maize colonization by the phytopathogenic fungi Fusarium verticillioides leads to economical and food quality losses and also implicates potential health risks. In order to control this fungal species different strategies are being considered. In the present work we investigated the in situ effects of the use of two in vitro proven bacterial biological control agents against Fusarium verticillioides, using maize seedlings grown in greenhouse conditions. The treatment of maize seeds with Fusarium verticillioides 107 spores ml−1 negatively affected the length of the stem and the weight of the root systems of resultant seedlings, and also reduced the numbers of non-rhizospheric organisms with ammonification and nitrification activities. The addition of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens or Microbacterium oleovorans, at a concentration of 109 colony forming units ml−1, to the seeds significantly reduced Fusarium verticillioides count at the root inner tissues of resultant seedlings. When testing the impact of bacterial treatments on soil populations, no alterations with respect to control numbers of organisms with nitrification, ammonification or cellulolytic potentials were observed. Culturable bacterial richness and diversity calculated at the rhizoplane and root inner tissues of maize seedlings neither changed in bacterized treatments when compared to control treatment. Our study showed that the Fusarium verticillioides in vitro proven antagonists, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Microbacterium oleovorans (at 109 colony forming units ml−1), were also effective at greenhouse conditions without causing major changes in culturable rhizospheric and endophytic microbial richness and diversity.

Studies on rhizosphere microbial diversity of some commercially important medicinal plants

A preliminary study was made on four medicinal plants viz., Ocimum sanctum L., Coleus forskholii Briq, Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don. and Aloe vera in order to identify and enumerate the rhizosphere, non-rhizosphere and diazotrophic microorganisms in soil. The diazotrophic bacterial population studied includes Azospirillum, Azotobacter and Pseudomonas. The rhizosphere bacterial populations were 23.33 × 10 6 g −1 in O. sanctum followed by C. roseus (20.46 × 10 6 g −1), A. vera (18.44 × 10 6 g −1) and C. forskholii (16.64 × 10 6 g −1). The fungi populations were 19.44 × 10 4 g −1 in C. roseus, 18.66 × 10 4 g −1 in O. sanctum, 16.44 × 10 4 g −1 in A. vera and 14.22 × 10 4 g −1 in C. forskholii. The actinomycetes population was 12.22 × 10 5 g −1 in O. sanctum, 10.44 × 10 5 g −1 in C. roseus, 8.44 × 10 5 g −1 in A. vera and 6.22 × 10 5 g −1 in C. forskholii. The diazotrophic bacterial population of Azospirillum, Azotobacter and Pseudomonas is 8.2 × 10 4 g −1, 12 × 10 4 g −1, 6 × 10 4 g −1 in the rhizosphere soil. In all the four medicinal plants the microbial population is more in the rhizosphere soil, when compared to non-rhizosphere soil. These results are helpful in developing a biofertilizer consortium for these commercially grown medicinal plants.

Influence of enhanced malate dehydrogenase expression by alfalfa on diversity of rhizobacteria and soil nutrient availability

Transgenic alfalfa over-expressing a nodule-enhanced malate dehydrogenase (neMDH) cDNA and untransformed alfalfa plants were grown at the same field site and rhizosphere soils collected after 53 weeks of plant growth. These alfalfa lines differ in the amount and composition of root organic acids produced and exuded into the rhizosphere. Nucleotide sequencing of PCR-based 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) clone libraries and Biolog™ GN microtiter plates were employed to assess the activity of naturally occurring rhizobacteria in the two alfalfa rhizospheres. Selected macro- and micro-elements in the two alfalfa rhizosphere soils were also measured. Analysis of 240 16S rDNA clone sequences indicated the existence of about 11 bacterial phyla and their major subdivisions in the two alfalfa rhizosphere samples. There were qualitative changes in the abundance of bacterial phylogenetic groups between rhizosphere soils of transgenic and untransformed alfalfa. Carbon substrate utilization profiles suggested that rhizosphere samples from transgenic alfalfa had significantly greater microbial functional diversity compared with rhizosphere samples from untransformed alfalfa. The concentrations of nitric acid extractable P, K, Mn, Zn and Cu increased significantly in the transgenic alfalfa rhizosphere compared with the untransformed alfalfa rhizosphere. These observations indicate that organic acids produced by plant roots significantly influence rhizosphere microbial diversity and availability of macro- and micro-nutrients and demonstrate the utility of such trangenic plants as tools for studying the potential impact of plant root exudates on soil microbial ecosystems.