Rhizosphere Soil Microorganisms Research Articles

Evaluation of the anti-oomycete bioactivity of rhizosphere soil-borne isolates and the biocontrol of soybean root rot caused by Phytophthora sojae

Phytophthora sojae is an important pathogen that causes soybean root rot. In this study, 200 rhizosphere bacteria were isolated from soybean rhizosphere soil. Six rhizosphere strains that showed antagonistic activity against Phytophthora sojae, SN337-SN342, were screened with further confrontation experiments. The biocontrol activities of the 6 strains, especially SN337, were subsequently characterized and evaluated. In vitro experiments showed that SN337, as a newly developed biocontrol agent, had good antagonistic activity against Phytophthora sojae. In the evaluation of soybean growth promotion, a fermented broth of strain SN337 increased shoot height and root length by 13% and 37.5%, respectively, compared with a control. Importantly, the incidence caused by P. sojae decreased in soybean plants treated with SN337. The fermentation broth of strain SN337 also clearly disintegrated zoospores of P. sojae. The biocontrol effects were further investigated based on the changes in rhizosphere soil microorganisms before and after inoculation with pathogens. Compared to P. sojae infection without SN337 treatment, the abundance of bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes and total microbes were increased, whereas P. sojae was decreased in the rhizosphere of soybean infected by P. sojae inoculation with SN337 treatment. The results indicated that strain SN337 played a role in the maintenance of the soybean rhizosphere environment by increasing the proportion of beneficial microorganism in the soil. In this study, the biocontrol effects of strain SN337 were evaluated based on antagonistic activity and biocontrol assays and on soil microbial analysis. Our results provide new practical clues for developing fungicides for the sustainable management of soybean root rot caused by P. sojae.

Inter-Kingdom Networks of Canola Microbiome Reveal Bradyrhizobium as Keystone Species and Underline the Importance of Bulk Soil in Microbial Studies to Enhance Canola Production.

The subterranean microbiota of plants is of great importance for plant growth and health, as root-associated microbes can perform crucial ecological functions. As the microbial environment of roots is extremely diverse, identifying keystone microorganisms in plant roots, rhizosphere, and bulk soil is a necessary step towards understanding the network of influence within the microbial community associated with roots and enhancing its beneficial elements. To target these hot spots of microbial interaction, we used inter-kingdom network analysis on the canola growth phase of a long-term cropping system diversification experiment conducted at four locations in the Canadian Prairies. Our aims were to verify whether bacterial and fungal communities of canola roots, rhizosphere, and bulk soil are related and influenced by diversification of the crop rotation system; to determine whether there are common or specific core fungi and bacteria in the roots, rhizosphere, and bulk soil under canola grown in different environments and with different levels of cropping system diversification; and to identify hub taxa at the inter-kingdom level that could play an important ecological role in the microbiota of canola. Our results showed that fungi were influenced by crop diversification, which was not the case on bacteria. We found no core microbiota in canola roots but identified three core fungi in the rhizosphere, one core mycobiota in the bulk soil, and one core bacterium shared by the rhizosphere and bulk soil. We identified two bacterial and one fungal hub taxa in the inter-kingdom networks of the canola rhizosphere, and one bacterial and two fungal hub taxa in the bulk soil. Among these inter-kingdom hub taxa, Bradyrhizobium sp. and Mortierella sp. are particularly influential on the microbial community and the plant. To our knowledge, this is the first inter-kingdom network analysis utilized to identify hot spots of interaction in canola microbial communities.

Community Distribution of the Rhizospheric and Endophytic Bacteria of Phragmites australis and Their Limiting Factors in Iron Tailings

The composition of the rhizospheric and endophytic bacteria Phragmites australis in spring and summer around the Qiananling iron tailings reservoir in the Huairou District of Beijing was studied using Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology. Sequencing identified 40 phyla, and Proteobateria and Actinobacteria were the dominant phyla in all samples, accounting for more than 80% of the sequences in all samples. At the genus level, Pseudoarthrobacter was dominant. α-diversity analysis showed that species richness(Sobs, Chao) and species diversity indexes(Shannon, PD) of the rhizosphere soil microorganisms were significantly higher than those of endophytes. The maximum and minimum differences of the Sobs, Chao, Shannon, PD indexes were 1336, 1582.24, 6.48, and 81.18, respectively. β-diversity analysis indicated that there were significant differences in the community compositions of rhizosphere soil microorganisms and root endophytes, while now notable differences were observed between samples in different seasons. In addition, the dominant strains in each sample(such as Pseudomonas, Arthrobacter, and Streptomyces) were highly resistant to heavy metals. Among the 774 genera, a total of 250 genera coexisted in four types of samples, indicating that the microbial community composition of different samples had some degree of similarity. Correlation analysis between soil physical and chemical properties showed that Ni, Fe, available phosphorus, effective sulphur, and organic matter were significantly related to the microbial communities. Through the prediction of COG function, it was found that the microbial metabolic functions(i.e., energy production and conversion, amino acid transport and metabolism, carbohydrate transport and metabolism, inorganic ion transport, and metabolism) were abundant.

Effects of different technical substitutions on reducing replant disease of Radix pseudostella-riae and the underlying mechanism.

Radix pseudostellariae is a traditional Chinese medicinical herb, with tuberous roots being used as a medicine. Serious continuous monoculture problems were suffered from process of artificial and intensive cultivation. To explore the effective technical methods to overcome the monoculture problems, the effects of different technical substitution patterns on soil environment remediation, photosynthetic physiology and yield performance of R. pseudostellariae were assessed under continuous cropping system with four technical substitution treatments in the phase between two crops after the newly harvested R. pseudostellariae (first crop): fallow (RP-F-RP), fallow treated with microbial fertilizer (RP-F-BF), water flooding (RP-WF), and water flooding treated with specific microbial fertilizer (RP-WF-BF). Results showed that RP-WF-BF pattern was the single one that could effectively restore R. pseudostellariae yield under two-year monoculture and three-year monoculture to more than 90% and 70% of the newly planted respectively. All the other patterns did not significantly improve R. pseudostellariae yield under two-year monoculture. The contents of polysaccharide and total saponin in R. pseudostellariae under RP-WF-BF treatment were significantly increased by 15.3% and 16.5% compared with those of the newly planted, respectively. The abundance of beneficial microorganisms in the rhizosphere soil of R. pseudostellariae significantly increased. A reverse pattern occurred for pathogens under RP-WF-BF pattern. Moreover, soil nitrogen cycling was improved. The expression of AOB, nosZ and nirK was increased by 931%, 124% and 100% compared with those in the RP-F-RP pattern, respectively. Soil acidification under RP-WF-BF pattern was alleviated. The alleviation of soil biological and abiotic stress enhanced the stability of the antioxidant enzyme system, thereby improving the growth and development of R. pseudostellariae at the seedling and the early expand stages. The chlorophyll content, leaf area index and photosynthesis rate of leaves were increased, with the dry matter translocation improved and accumulation of underground dry matter accelerated, which ultimately increased yield and quality under RP-WF-BF pattern. In this study, the separate water flooding treatment (RP-WF) and microbial fertilizer treatment (RP-F-BF) failed to significantly reduce the continuous cropping obstacles of R. pseudostellariae, while the combination of them could produce a multiplication effect of sustainable strengthening on rhizosphere environment. The findings suggested that effective technical substitution could reduce replant disease of R. pseudostellariae.

Zerovalent Iron Modulates the Influence of Arsenic-Contaminated Soil on Growth, Yield and Grain Quality of Rice

This study aimed to investigate the effects of zerovalent iron (ZVI/Fe0) on growth, yield and grain quality of rice (Oryza sativa L.) cv. BRRI dhan49 in arsenic (As)-contaminated soils. The pot experiment was arranged in a complete randomized design (CRD). The treatments on rice applied were As in soils at As0 (0 mg kg−1), As20 (20 mg kg−1), and As40 (40 mg kg−1) with a combination of ZVI at ZVI0 (0%), ZVI0.5 (0.5%), ZVI1.0 (1.0%), and ZVI1.5 (1.5%) with three replications. Contents of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), and As in grains of rice; and Fe and As content in cultivated soils were determined. The application of ZVI had negative or no effect on shoot weight, tiller number, and grain yield. Although application of ZVI had little or no effect on thousand grain weight, P, K, Zn, and Mn of rice grains, Fe content in rice grains was increased by ZVI treatments in a dose-dependent manner. The grain As content was non-significantly reduced by the ZVI application. Soil bacterial population was negatively influenced by the ZVI in a dose-dependent manner which might be linked with As content in the soils. Therefore, a further elaborative study is needed to elucidate the mechanisms of the effects of ZVI and soil As on rice and rhizosphere soil microorganisms.

Response of root nutrient resorption strategies to rhizosphere soil microbial nutrient utilization along Robinia pseudoacacia plantation chronosequence

Understanding root nutrient resorption strategies and their drivers is essential to explore plant nutrient acquisition strategies in restored ecosystems. However, the interaction between root nutrient resorption and the nutrient utilization of rhizosphere soil microorganisms in restored ecosystems has yet to be determined. In this study, we investigated plant fine roots and rhizosphere soils in Robinia pseudoacacia plantations at four stages of forest succession (14, 20, 30, and 45 years of age) on the Loess Plateau in China. We studied the characteristics of root nitrogen and phosphorus resorption efficiencies (NRE and PRE) at different recovery stages and analyzed the relationships among nutrient resorption and rhizosphere soil variables (nutrients and microbial communities). We detected a tendency of an initial reduction and subsequent increase in root NRE and PRE with stand age (the lowest value at 30-y sites), whereas the nutrient contents of rhizosphere soil increased with stand age, and soil available nutrients initially increased and then declined. The diversity of rhizosphere soil microorganisms also showed an initial increase and subsequent decline. Proteobacteria were considered to be at an advantage during the nutrient-rich stage of restoration (30-y sites), whereas Acidobacteria were found to be dominant during the low-nutrient restoration stage (14-y sites). Furthermore, the microbial nutrient utilization ratios of soil microbial biomass carbon: soil organic carbon, microbial biomass nitrogen: soil total nitrogen, and microbial biomass phosphorus: soil total phosphorus also showed an initial increase and then decreased (with peaks at the 30-y sites). Redundancy analysis indicated that the nutrient contents of rhizosphere soil were significantly related to microbial communities and correlation analysis revealed that microbial nutrient-use efficiencies were significantly related to rhizosphere soil nutrient contents and the dominant microbial communities. We also detected a significant negative correlation between root nutrient resorption and microbial nutrient utilization. Partial least squares path modeling revealed that forest restoration influences the contents of nutrients in rhizosphere soil and the composition of microbial communities, whereas microbial biomass and nutrient utilization efficiency were shown to have a negative effect on root resorption efficiency. Based on our findings, we propose that the highly conservative nutrient utilization strategies of the rhizosphere soil microbial community may negatively drive root nutrient resorption strategies during the succession of R. pseudoacacia.

Effects of Tilletia foetida on Microbial Communities in the Rhizosphere Soil of Wheat Seeds Coated with Different Concentrations of Jianzhuang

Tilletia foetida (syn. T. laevis) leads to wheat common bunt, a worldwide disease that can lead to 80% yield loss and even total loss of production, together with degrading the quality of grains and flour by producing a rotten fish smell. To explore the potential microbial community that may contribute to the control of soil- and seed-borne pathogens, in this study, we analyzed the effects of the plant pathogenic fungus T. foetida on rhizosphere soil microorganisms in wheat seeds coated with different concentrations of a fungicide (Jianzhuang) used to control the disease. To analyze the bacterial and fungal abundance in T. foetida-infected and mock-infected plants, the microorganisms were sequenced using high-throughput HiSeq 2500 gene sequencing. The results showed that bacterial communities, including Verrucomicrobia, Patescibacteria, Armatimonadetes, Nitrospirae, Fibrobacteres, Chlamydiae, and Hydrogenedentes, and fungal communities, including Basidiomycota and Ciliophora, were more prevalent in the mock group than in the T. foetida-infected group, which may contribute to the control of wheat common bunt. Moreover, cluster and PCoA analysis revealed that replicates of the same samples were clustered together, and these results were also found in the distance index within-group analysis for bacterial and fungal communities in the T. foetida-infected and mock groups.

Effect of microplastics and arsenic on nutrients and microorganisms in rice rhizosphere soil

The presence of microplastics and arsenic in soil can endanger crop growth; therefore, their effects on the properties of rhizosphere soil should be evaluated. Large (10–100 µm) and small (0.1–1 µm) polystyrene (PSMP) and polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) particles were added to soil with different arsenic concentrations (1.4, 24.7, and 86.3 mg kg−1) to investigate the combined effect of microplastics and arsenic pollution on rice rhizosphere soil. After the addition of PSMP and PTFE, pH, arsenic (V) and arsenic (III) in the soil were observed to decrease. The interaction of arsenic with PSMP and PTFE resulted in this phenomenon, leading to a decrease of arsenic bioavailability in the soil. PSMP, PTFE, and arsenic reduced the abundance of Proteobacteria, increased the abundance of Chloroflexi and Acidobacteria, and inhibited soil urease, acid phosphatase, protease, dehydrogenase, and peroxidase activity via affecting the tertiary structure of the enzyme. PSMP, PTFE, and arsenic also reduced the available nitrogen and phosphorus content in the soil. Arsenic increased the soil organic matter content, whereas PSMP and PTFE reduced the organic matter content. Furthermore, microplastics inhibited the effects of arsenic on the microbial and chemical properties of the rhizosphere soil. This study revealed the effects of microplastic and arsenic pollution on rice rhizosphere microorganisms and nutrients, and elucidated the mechanism by which these pollutants retard crop growth in the designed growth medium.

Soil Enzyme Activity and Microbial Metabolic Function Diversity in Soda Saline–Alkali Rice Paddy Fields of Northeast China

Western Jilin province has the most serious area of soda salinization in Northeast China, which affects and restricts the sustainable development of agriculture. The effects of physico-chemical properties of rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil on soil microbial diversity and enzyme activities (polyphenol oxidase, catalase, invertase, amylase) were evaluated in typical soda saline-alkali paddy field. Community-level physiological profile (CLPP) based on Biolog-ECO plates was used to assess the functional diversity of soil microorganisms. Exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) and pH were negative correlated with the microbial activity (AWCD), soil enzyme activities (amylase, sucrose, and catalase, except for polyphenol oxidase) in rice rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil (P < 0.05). The indexes of microbial diversity in rice rhizosphere soil were significantly higher than that of non-rhizosphere soil. The utilization of amino acids by rice rhizosphere microorganisms was relatively high, while non-rhizosphere soil had relatively high utilization of carboxylic acid, phenolic acid, and amine. Among the selected physico-chemical properties, soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil water content (SWC) had the greatest influence on the variation of microbial diversity indexes and enzyme activities in rhizosphere soil. ESP and pH showed a significant positive correlation with carbon source utilization, especially for amine (AM) and phenolic acid (PA) carbon source utilization (P < 0.05) by means of RDA, and the utilization rate of AM and PA carbon sources by rice rhizosphere and non-root soil microorganisms was P1 < P2 < P3.

Effects of potassium application on soil ecological resistance to Verticillium wilt of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

ABSTRACT Verticillium wilt (V-wilt) causes huge and irreparable losses to cotton worldwide every year. Potassium (K) is considered to be a critical nutrient for resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. To verify the effect of K application on the establishment of an ecological-friendly soil microenvironment resistant to V-wilt, a two-year field experiment was conducted. Two cotton varieties (ND-601, resistive and JM-11, sensitive) with different resistance to V-wilt were used in this study, and five different K rates (0, 75, 150, 225, and 300 kg ha−1 K2O) were set for each variety in the field inoculated with Verticillium dahliae (V. dahliae). The results showed that different levels of K application had significant effect on the reduction of cotton V-wilt. K application increased the content of K and total phenolics in rhizosphere soil, but decreased the content of soluble sugar and alanine. Moreover, K application reduced the number of bacteria, fungi, and total microorganisms in rhizosphere soil, especially the number of V. dahliae. In conclusion, K application can create a good micro-ecological environment for the root system by changing the K status, root exudates, and microorganisms in rhizosphere soil, which are beneficial to reduce the symptoms of cotton V-wilt.

Physiochemical properties and microbial community characteristics of rhizosphere soil in Parashorea chinensis plantation

We explored the impacts of different mixed trees on the improvement of soil microecological environment in rhizosphere of Parashorea chinensis, including pure P. chinensis plantation (WC), mixed P. chinensis and Dalbergia odorifera plantation (WJ), mixed P. chinensis and Eucalyptus urophylla × E. grandis plantation (WA). Soil physical and chemical properties were analyzed. The characteristics and distribution of soil microbes in the rhizosphere were measured by the methods of Biolog-Eco micro plate and phospholipid fatty acid methyl ester (PLFA). Soil water content, soil pH, organic matter, total nitrogen, total potassium content and the activities of sucrase, urease and acid phosphatase in rhizosphere soil of WA were significantly higher than those of WC and WJ, without difference between WC and WJ. There were no significant differences in the contents of nitrate nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, and available potassium between WA and WJ, which were obviously higher than those in WC. There were significant differences in total phosphorus and available phosphorus contents among the three stands, with an order of WJ>WA>WC. The average color change rate (AWCD), Shannon index, Simpson index, McIntosh index and the utilization of six types of carbon source substrates in microorganisms were the highest in the rhizosphere soil of WA, followed by WJ and WC. Results of principal component analysis showed that carbohydrates, amino acids and phenolic acids were the main carbon sources for microbial utilization. In WA, the PLFA content of rhizosphere soil microorganism, bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes was the highest, followed by WJ and WC. There were significant positive correlation between soil physical and che-mical properties and the microbial characteristics. Combining the physical and chemical properties of soil and the functional and structural characteristics of microbial communities, the mixed P. chinensis and E. urophylla × E.grandis plantation may be most conductive to the improvement of the rhizosphere microecological environment and increase soil available nutrients at the young tree phase of P. chinensis.

Diversity and community structure of ammonia-oxidizing archaea in rhizosphere soil of four plant groups in Ebinur Lake wetland.

The aim of this study was to reveal the differences in the community structure of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) between rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil, to provide a theoretical basis for further study on the relationship between halophyte rhizosphere soil microorganisms and salt tolerance. The results of diversity and community structure showed that the diversity of the AOA community in rhizosphere soil of Reeds was higher than that in non-rhizosphere soil in spring and lower than that in non-rhizosphere soil in summer and autumn. In summer, the diversity of rhizosphere soil of Karelinia caspica was higher than that of non-rhizosphere soil and lower than that of non-rhizosphere soil in spring and autumn. The diversity of rhizosphere soil of Halocnemum strobilaceum in 3 seasons was lower than that in non-rhizosphere soil. The diversity of rhizosphere soil of Salicornia was higher than that in non-rhizosphere soil in 3 seasons. In addition, the relative abundance of AOA in rhizosphere soil of 4 plants was higher than that in non-rhizosphere soil. The AOA community in all soil samples was mainly concentrated in Crenarchaeota and Thaumarchaeota. Redundancy analysis results showed salinity, soil water moisture, pH, and soil organic matter were important factors affecting the differentiation of AOA communities.

Characteristics of the soil microbial community in the forestland of Camellia oleifera.

Characterizing soil microbial community is important for forest ecosystem management and microbial utilization. The microbial community in the soil beneath Camellia oleifera, an important woody edible oil tree in China, has not been reported before. Here, we used Illumina sequencing of 16S and ITS rRNA genes to study the species diversity of microorganisms in C. oleifera forest land in South China. The results showed that the rhizosphere soil had higher physicochemical properties, enzyme activities and microbial biomass than did the non-rhizosphere soil. The rhizosphere soil microorganisms had a higher carbon source utilization capacity than the non-rhizosphere soil microorganisms, and attained the highest utilization capacity in summer. The soil microbial community of C. oleifera was characterized by rich ester and amino acid carbon sources that played major roles in the principal functional components of the community. In summer, soil microbes were abundant in species richness and very active in community function. Rhizosphere microorganisms were more diverse than non-root systems in species diversity, which was associated with soil pH, Available phosphorous (AP) and Urease (URE). These results indicated that microbial resources were rich in rhizosphere soil. A priority should be given to the rhizosphere microorganisms in the growing season in developing and utilizing soil microorganisms in C. oleifera plantation. It is possible to promote the growth of C. oleifera by changing soil microbial community, including carbon source species, pH, AP, and URE. Our findings provide valuable information to guide microbial isolation and culturing to manage C. oleifera land.

Contrast in soil microbial metabolic functional diversity to fertilization and crop rotation under rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere in the coal gangue landfill reclamation area of Loess Hills.

Very poor reclaimed soil quality and weak microbial activity occur in the reclamation area of a coal gangue landfill in the Loess Hills. The fourth and fifth years after farmland soil was reclaimed were studied, and the changes in and carbon source utilization characteristics of rhizosphere (R) and non-rhizosphere (S) soil microorganisms under organic and inorganic (OF), inorganic (F), and organic (O) fertilizer application and a control treatment (CK) in soybean (S) and maize (M) rotation systems were compared and analysed in Guljiao Tunlan, Shanxi Province, China. Biolog-EcoPlate technology was used to analyse the mechanism of soil characteristic change from the perspective of soil microbial metabolism function to provide a theoretical basis for reclamation and ecological reconstruction in this area. The average well colour development (AWCD) absorption and Shannon-Wiener index values of soybean and maize rhizosphere microorganisms were higher than those of non-rhizosphere microorganisms, and the mean value of the fertilizer treatment was higher than that for CK. Principal component analysis shows the main carbon sources that impact the functional diversity of the soybean rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil communities are a-cyclodextrin, a-D-lactose, ß-methyl D-glucoside, and glucose-1-phosphate and L-phenylalanine, while those for the maize rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil communities are D-cellobiose, glucose-1-phosphate, ß-methyl D-glucoside, methyl pyruvate, D-galactosate gamma lactone, D-mannitol, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, D-galactosalonic acid, and L-serine. The comprehensive utilization score of the non-rhizosphere soil carbon source in the maize season increased with respect to that in the soybean season, and the maximum increase was 1.09 under the OF treatment. Redundancy analysis showed that the soil nutrient factors driving the changes in the metabolic function diversity index values of the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil microbial communities in the different crop seasons in the reclamation area differed, but they were all related to the soil organic matter and available phosphorus. This may explain why OF treatment is the most beneficial to soil fertility under the rotation system in mining reclamation areas.

Microbial diversity in the rhizosphere soils of three Stipa species from the eastern Inner Mongolian grasslands

Rhizosphere soil microorganisms affect the diversity and ecological distribution of aboveground plants and play an important role in the functions of terrestrial ecosystems. Using high-throughput sequencing, we have investigated the rhizosphere soil microbial communities of three species of Stipa from six plots, in the eastern steppe of Inner Mongolia, and analyzed the relationship between microbial diversity and vegetation diversity and soil physicochemical characteristics. The dominant bacteria phyla were: Actinobacteria, 31.73–44.73%; Proteobacteria, 15.79–23.85%; Acidobacteria, 9.42–15.14%; and Chloroflexi, 4.90–13.60%. While the dominant fungi phyla were: Ascomycota, 16.93–82.12%; Basidiomycota, 2.44–81.28%; and Zygomycota, 0.40–18.92%. Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) indicated that the soil microbial community compositions in the Stipa baicalensis steppe in Hulunbuir and the Stipa krylovii steppe in the Xilingol plots, were significantly different from the others. The species characteristics of the plant communities were different in each plot for the vegetation diversity factors, the Shannon Weiner index, Simpson index, and the importance value indices of the Stipa and Leymus chinensis significantly affected the community structures of the bacteria and fungi. Among the physicochemical soil parameters, soil pH, ammonium nitrogen (AN), and sucrase (SC), significantly affected the community structures of the bacteria and fungi, and were inseparable from the interactions between the microorganisms and environmental factors. We found that microbial community diversity was complex in the rhizosphere soils of the Stipa, and that they were mainly affected by the vegetation diversity, soil pH, ammonium nitrogen, and soil sucrase activities. These results improve our understanding of the correlations between the Stipa rhizosphere soil microorganisms and the environmental factors, and provide guidance for future research on the distribution characteristics and growth of the Stipa.

Effects of Different Soil Environments on Root Structure of Cynanchum Chínense

Cross-cutting sectioning of the roots of Cynanchum chinense grown in different habitats showed that the root structure of Cynanchum chinense in different habitats was significantly different, but it did not affect its normal growth. Under the salty environment, the number of layers of Cynanchum chinense root cortex cells is relatively small, and the cells are arranged more closely, which is beneficial to the plants to absorb water and nutrients in the soil. The soil physical and chemical properties of different habitats of Cynanchum chinense and the concentration of cultivable microorganisms in rhizosphere soil were compared and found that the obvious difference in root structure of Cynanchum chinense may be caused by the difference of soil soluble salt content and soil culturable microorganism concentration. The research results of this subject provide a theoretical reference for the introduction, breeding and cultivation of Cynanchum chinense.

Effects of reduced nitrogen and suitable soil moisture on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rhizosphere soil microbiological, biochemical properties and yield in the Huanghuai Plain, China

Soil management practices affect rhizosphere microorganisms and enzyme activities, which in turn influence soil ecosystem processes. The objective of this study was to explore the effects of different nitrogen application rates on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rhizosphere soil microorganisms and enzyme activities, and their temporal variations in relation to soil fertility under supplemental irrigation conditions in a fluvo-aquic region. For this, we established a split-plot experiment for two consecutive years (2014–2015 and 2015–2016) in the field with three levels of soil moisture: water deficit to no irrigation (W1), medium irrigation to (70±5)% of soil relative moisture after jointing stage (W2), and adequate irrigation to (80±5)% of soil relative moisture after jointing stage (W3); and three levels of nitrogen: 0 kg ha−1 (N1), 195 kg ha−1 (N2) and 270 kg ha−1 (N3). Results showed that irrigation and nitrogen application significantly increased rhizosphere microorganisms and enzyme activities. Soil microbiological properties showed different trends in response to N level; the highest values of bacteria, protease, catalase and phosphatase appeared in N2, while the highest levels of actinobacteria, fungi and urease were observed in N3. In addition, these items performed best under medium irrigation (W2) relative to W1 and W3; particularly the maximum microorganism (bacteria, actinobacteria and fungi) amounts appeared at W2, 5.37×107 and 6.35×107 CFUs g−1 higher than those at W3 in 2014–2015 and 2015–2016, respectively; and these changes were similar in both growing seasons. Microbe-related parameters fluctuated over time but their seasonality did not hamper the irrigation and fertilization-induced effects. Further, the highest grain yields of 13 309.2 and 12 885.7 kg ha−1 were both obtained at W2N2 in 2014–2015 and 2015–2016, respectively. The selected properties, soil microorganisms and enzymes, were significantly correlated with wheat yield and proved to be valuable indicators of soil quality. These results clearly demonstrated that the combined treatment (W2N2) significantly improved soil microbiological properties, soil fertility and wheat yield on the Huanghuai Plain, China.

Aeration Irrigation Can Improve Growth of Table Grape cv. Red Globe (Vitis vinifera L.) in Greenhouse

Aeration through subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) can promote plant growth and increase crop yield; however, more research is focused on annual crops, and there are few studies on perennial crops. We have studied a new type of SDI (SDI with tanks) suitable for cultivation and production of perennial fruit trees and photovoltaic aeration device in greenhouse. The results showed that aeration irrigation promoted the growth of new leaves, fine roots, and new branches of grape, regulated O2/CO2 content in rhizosphere soil, and accelerated air exchange in rhizosphere soil. This study showed that aeration irrigation did not change the structure of bacteria and fungi but significantly increased the abundance of aerobic bacteria, such as Nitrospira and Cytophagia. Moreover, it promoted the increase of Pseudomonas and Aspergillus related to phosphate solubilization, that of Bacillus related to potassium solubilization, and that of Fusarium related to organic matter (OM) decomposition. This study shows that aeration irrigation through SDI with tanks can promote grape growth, which may be related to the ability of aeration irrigation to change the gas composition of rhizosphere soil, optimize the structure of rhizosphere soil microorganism.

Effects of different manure nitrogen input ratio on rhizosphere soil microbial biomass carbon, nitrogen and microbial quotient in double-cropping rice field

To explore the characteristics of rhizosphere soil microorganisms in paddy fields with different manure nitrogen (N) input ratios at different growth stages of early and late rice in double-cropping rice system, a field experiment was conducted with five different treatments: 1) 100% N of chemical fertilizer (M1), 2) 30% N of organic matter and 70% N of chemical fertilizer (M2), 3) 50% N of organic matter and 50% N of chemical fertilizer (M3), 4) 100% N of organic matter (M4), and 5) no N fertilizer input as a control (M0). The rhizosphere soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), and microbial quotient (SQ) of the paddy fields were measured using the fumigation-extraction and chemical analysis methods. The results showed that the rhizosphere MBC, MBN, and SQ of the paddy fields at main different growth stages of early and late rice were increased by fertilization, which increased first and then decreased with the development of rice growth period, peaked at the heading stage, and reached the minimum value at the maturity stage. The effects of different fertilization treatments were in order of M4＞M3＞M2＞M1＞M0, with no significant difference among M2, M3 and M4, but being significantly higher than M0. Therefore, the application of organic matter, and combined application of chemical fertilizer with organic matter could significantly increase the rhizosphere MBC, MBN, and SQ of the paddy fields at early and late rice growth period, while chemical fertilizer alone had little effect.

Effects of film mulching and nitrogen fertilization on rhizosphere soil environment, root growth and nutrient uptake of winter oilseed rape in northwest China

The ridge film mulching and furrow planting (RFMF) pattern has been increasingly applied to the production of wheat, maize, and potato in arid and semiarid regions of northwest China because it can significantly improve crop yield. How RFMF affects the productivity and whether it can improve the rhizosphere soil environment of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) is not clear. The main objective of the present study was to determine whether RFMF can improve rhizosphere soil environment and winter oilseed rape productivity in comparison to the conventional flat planting (FP) pattern in a three-year (2014-2017) field experiment. In combination with each planting pattern, we determined an optimal nitrogen (N) application rate among six levels: 0 (N0), 60 (N60), 120 (N120), 180 (N180), 240 (N240) and 300 (N300) kg N ha−1. Results showed that the RFMF pattern significantly improved the rhizosphere soil environment by increasing soil moisture by 0.3–5.6% and soil temperature by 0.6–3.0 °C. However, soil oxygen concentration decreased by 0.03–5.66% during the flowering stage of winter oilseed rape. In addition, the RFMF pattern markedly improved rhizosphere soil enzyme activity and microorganism abundance and thus promoted root growth, nutrient uptake, and seed yield of winter oilseed rape. The resulting optimal N application rates remarkably improved rhizosphere soil enzyme activity, microorganism abundance, root growth, nutrient uptake, and yield of winter oilseed rape in both RFMF and FP treatments. In the RFMF treatment, N240 obtained significantly greater rhizosphere soil enzyme activity, microorganism abundance, root growth parameters, nutrient uptake, and seed yield than N0, N60, N120, and N180, with no significant differences observed between N240 and N300. In conclusion, the RFMF pattern in combination with the optimal N-application rate of 240 kg ha−1 has great potential to improve rhizosphere environment and winter oilseed rape productivity in arid and semiarid regions of northwest China.