1
|
L’Espérance E, Bouyoucef LS, Dozois JA, Yergeau E. Tipping the plant-microbe competition for nitrogen in agricultural soils. iScience 2024; 27:110973. [PMID: 39391734 PMCID: PMC11466649 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) is the most limiting nutrient in agroecosystems, and its indiscriminate application is at the center of the environmental challenges facing agriculture. To solve this dilemma, crops' nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) needs to increase - in other words, more of the applied nitrogen needs to reach humans. Microbes are the key to cracking this problem. Microbes use nitrogen as an energy source, an electron acceptor, or incorporate it in their biomass. These activities change the form and availability of nitrogen for crops' uptake, impacting its NUE, yields and produce quality. Plants (and microbes) have, however, evolved many mechanisms to compete for soil nitrogen. Understanding and harnessing these competitive mechanisms would enable us to tip the nitrogen balance to the advantage of crops. We will review these competitive mechanisms and highlight some approaches that were applied to reduce microbial competition for N in an agricultural context.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emmy L’Espérance
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, 531 boulevard des Prairies, Laval, Québec H7V1B7, Canada
| | - Lilia Sabrina Bouyoucef
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, 531 boulevard des Prairies, Laval, Québec H7V1B7, Canada
| | - Jessica A. Dozois
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, 531 boulevard des Prairies, Laval, Québec H7V1B7, Canada
| | - Etienne Yergeau
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, 531 boulevard des Prairies, Laval, Québec H7V1B7, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Koch H, Sessitsch A. The microbial-driven nitrogen cycle and its relevance for plant nutrition. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2024; 75:5547-5556. [PMID: 38900822 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erae274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) is a vital nutrient and an essential component of biological macromolecules such as nucleic acids and proteins. Microorganisms are major drivers of N-cycling processes in all ecosystems, including the soil and plant environment. The availability of N is a major growth-limiting factor for plants and it is significantly affected by the plant microbiome. Plants and microorganisms form complex interaction networks resulting in molecular signaling, nutrient exchange, and other distinct metabolic responses. In these networks, microbial partners influence growth and N use efficiency of plants either positively or negatively. Harnessing the beneficial effects of specific players within crop microbiomes is a promising strategy to counteract the emerging threats to human and planetary health due to the overuse of industrial N fertilizers. However, in addition to N-providing activities (e.g. the well-known symbiosis of legumes and Rhizobium spp.), other plant-microorganism interactions must be considered to obtain a complete picture of how microbial-driven N transformations might affect plant nutrition. For this, we review recent insights into the tight interplay between plants and N-cycling microorganisms, focusing on microbial N-transformation processes representing N sources and sinks that ultimately shape plant N acquisition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Koch
- Center for Health & Bioresources, Bioresources Unit, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, A-3430 Tulln, Austria
| | - Angela Sessitsch
- Center for Health & Bioresources, Bioresources Unit, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, A-3430 Tulln, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Lewin S, Wende S, Wehrhan M, Verch G, Ganugi P, Sommer M, Kolb S. Cereals rhizosphere microbiome undergoes host selection of nitrogen cycle guilds correlated to crop productivity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 911:168794. [PMID: 38000749 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Sustainable transformation of agricultural plant production requires the reduction of nitrogen (N) fertilizer application. Such a reduced N fertilizer application may impede crop production due to an altered symbiosis of crops and their rhizosphere microbiome, since reduced N input may affect the competition and synergisms with the plant. The assessment of such changes in the crop microbiome functionalities at spatial scales relevant for agricultural management remains challenging. We investigated in a field plot experiment how and if the N cycling guilds of the rhizosphere of globally relevant cereal crops - winter barley, wheat and rye - are influenced by reduced N fertilization. Crop productivity was assessed by remote sensing of the shoot biomass. Microbial N cycling guilds were investigated by metagenomics targeting diazotrophs, nitrifiers, denitrifiers and the dissimilatory nitrate to ammonium reducing guild (DNRA). The functional composition of microbial N cycling guilds was explained by crop productivity parameters and soil pH, and diverged substantially between the crop species. The responses of individual microbial N cycling guild abundances to shoot dry weight and rhizosphere nitrate content was modulated by the N fertilization treatments and the crop species, which was identified based on regression analyses. Thus, characteristic shifts in the microbial N cycling guild acquisition associated with the crop host species were resolved. Particularly, the rhizosphere of rye was enriched with potentially N-preserving microbial guilds - diazotrophs and the DNRA guild - when no fertilizer was applied. We speculate that the acquisition of microbial N cycling guilds was the result of plant species-specific acquisition strategies. Thus, the investigated cereal crop holobionts have likely different symbiotic strategies that make them differently resilient against reduced N fertilizer inputs. Furthermore, we demonstrated that these belowground patterns of N cycling guilds from the rhizosphere microbiome are linked to remotely sensed aboveground plant productivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simon Lewin
- Working Group Microbial Biogeochemistry, Research Area Landscape Functioning, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research e.V. (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Sonja Wende
- Working Group Microbial Biogeochemistry, Research Area Landscape Functioning, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research e.V. (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Marc Wehrhan
- Working Group Landscape Pedology, Research Area Landscape Functioning, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research e.V. (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Gernot Verch
- Experimental Station Dedelow, Experimental Infrastructure Platform, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research e.V. (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Paola Ganugi
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Michael Sommer
- Working Group Landscape Pedology, Research Area Landscape Functioning, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research e.V. (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany; Institute of Environmental Science & Geography, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Steffen Kolb
- Working Group Microbial Biogeochemistry, Research Area Landscape Functioning, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research e.V. (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany; Thaer Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhang Y, Cheng X, van Groenigen KJ, García-Palacios P, Cao J, Zheng X, Luo Y, Hungate BA, Terrer C, Butterbach-Bahl K, Olesen JE, Chen J. Shifts in soil ammonia-oxidizing community maintain the nitrogen stimulation of nitrification across climatic conditions. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e16989. [PMID: 37888833 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) loading alters soil ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) abundances, likely leading to substantial changes in soil nitrification. However, the factors and mechanisms determining the responses of soil AOA:AOB and nitrification to N loading are still unclear, making it difficult to predict future changes in soil nitrification. Herein, we synthesize 68 field studies around the world to evaluate the impacts of N loading on soil ammonia oxidizers and nitrification. Across a wide range of biotic and abiotic factors, climate is the most important driver of the responses of AOA:AOB to N loading. Climate does not directly affect the N-stimulation of nitrification, but does so via climate-related shifts in AOA:AOB. Specifically, climate modulates the responses of AOA:AOB to N loading by affecting soil pH, N-availability and moisture. AOB play a dominant role in affecting nitrification in dry climates, while the impacts from AOA can exceed AOB in humid climates. Together, these results suggest that climate-related shifts in soil ammonia-oxidizing community maintain the N-stimulation of nitrification, highlighting the importance of microbial community composition in mediating the responses of the soil N cycle to N loading.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology and Health in Universities of Yunnan Province, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiaoli Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology and Health in Universities of Yunnan Province, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Kees Jan van Groenigen
- Department of Geography, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Pablo García-Palacios
- Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Junji Cao
- Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xunhua Zheng
- Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yiqi Luo
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, New York, Ithaca, USA
| | - Bruce A Hungate
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Arizona, Flagstaff, USA
| | - Cesar Terrer
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts, Cambridge, USA
| | - Klaus Butterbach-Bahl
- Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research, Atmospheric Environmental Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
- Center for Landscape Research in Sustainable Agricultural Futures, Land-CRAFT, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jørgen Eivind Olesen
- Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
- Aarhus University Centre for Circular Bioeconomy, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
- iCLIMATE Interdisciplinary Centre for Climate Change, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Ji Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, China
- Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Quiza L, Tremblay J, Pagé AP, Greer CW, Pozniak CJ, Li R, Haug B, Hemmingsen SM, St-Arnaud M, Yergeau E. The effect of wheat genotype on the microbiome is more evident in roots and varies through time. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:32. [PMID: 37076737 PMCID: PMC10115884 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-023-00238-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
Crop breeding has traditionally ignored the plant-associated microbial communities. Considering the interactions between plant genotype and associated microbiota is of value since different genotypes of the same crop often harbor distinct microbial communities which can influence the plant phenotype. However, recent studies have reported contrasting results, which led us to hypothesize that the effect of genotype is constrained by growth stages, sampling year and plant compartment. To test this hypothesis, we sampled bulk soil, rhizosphere soil and roots of 10 field-grown wheat genotypes, twice per year, for 4 years. DNA was extracted and regions of the bacterial 16 S rRNA and CPN60 genes and the fungal ITS region were amplified and sequenced. The effect of genotype was highly contingent on the time of sampling and on the plant compartment sampled. Only for a few sampling dates, were the microbial communities significantly different across genotypes. The effect of genotype was most often significant for root microbial communities. The three marker genes used provided a highly coherent picture of the effect of genotype. Taken together, our results confirm that microbial communities in the plant environment strongly vary across compartments, growth stages, and years, and that this can mask the effect of genotype.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liliana Quiza
- Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laval, QC, Canada
| | - Julien Tremblay
- Energy, Mining, and Environment Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Antoine P Pagé
- Aquatic and Crop Resource Development Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Charles W Greer
- Energy, Mining, and Environment Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Rong Li
- Aquatic and Crop Resource Development Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Brenda Haug
- Aquatic and Crop Resource Development Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Sean M Hemmingsen
- Aquatic and Crop Resource Development Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Marc St-Arnaud
- Institut de recherche en biologie végétale, Université de Montréal and Jardin botanique de Montréal, 4101 rue Sherbrooke E., Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Etienne Yergeau
- Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laval, QC, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Malacrinò A, Abdelfattah A, Belgacem I, Schena L. Plant genotype influence the structure of cereal seed fungal microbiome. Front Microbiol 2023; 13:1075399. [PMID: 36687609 PMCID: PMC9846234 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1075399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant genotype is a crucial factor for the assembly of the plant-associated microbial communities. However, we still know little about the variation of diversity and structure of plant microbiomes across host species and genotypes. Here, we used six species of cereals (Avena sativa, Hordeum vulgare, Secale cereale, Triticum aestivum, Triticum polonicum, and Triticum turgidum) to test whether the plant fungal microbiome varies across species, and whether plant species use different mechanisms for microbiome assembly focusing on the plant ears. Using ITS2 amplicon metagenomics, we found that host species influences the diversity and structure of the seed-associated fungal communities. Then, we tested whether plant genotype influences the structure of seed fungal communities across different cultivars of T. aestivum (Aristato, Bologna, Rosia, and Vernia) and T. turgidum (Capeiti, Cappelli, Mazzancoio, Trinakria, and Timilia). We found that cultivar influences the seed fungal microbiome in both species. We found that in T. aestivum the seed fungal microbiota is more influenced by stochastic processes, while in T. turgidum selection plays a major role. Collectively, our results contribute to fill the knowledge gap on the wheat seed microbiome assembly and, together with other studies, might contribute to understand how we can manipulate this process to improve agriculture sustainability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antonino Malacrinò
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Ahmed Abdelfattah
- Institute of Environmental Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria,Leibniz-Institute for Agricultural Engineering Potsdam (ATB) and University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany,*Correspondence: Ahmed Abdelfattah, ✉
| | - Imen Belgacem
- Agrocampus Ouest, INRAE, Université de Rennes, IGEPP, Le Rheu, France
| | - Leonardo Schena
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Reggio Calabria, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Correa-Garcia S, Constant P, Yergeau E. The forecasting power of the microbiome. Trends Microbiol 2022; 31:444-452. [PMID: 36549949 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2022.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Microorganisms are informative biological integrators of past and present environmental abiotic and biotic conditions. At the same time, they are directly involved in ecosystem processes. Unfortunately, the complexity of microbial communities has so far resulted in most studies being descriptive. Here, we suggest that signals in the microbiome data can be used to forecast future ecosystem processes. The combination of omics with various statistical learning approaches, selected based on accuracy-interpretability and bias-variance trade-offs, will be key to attain this goal, as exemplified by recent studies. The time is ripe for microbial ecologists to fully exploit the forecasting power of microbiomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Correa-Garcia
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, 531 boulevard des Prairies, Laval, Québec H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Philippe Constant
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, 531 boulevard des Prairies, Laval, Québec H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Etienne Yergeau
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, 531 boulevard des Prairies, Laval, Québec H7V 1B7, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Asad NI, Wang XB, Dozois J, Azarbad H, Constant P, Yergeau E. Early season soil microbiome best predicts wheat grain quality. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2022; 99:6845734. [PMID: 36423336 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiac144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that it is possible to accurately predict wheat grain quality and yields using microbial indicators. However, it is uncertain what the best timing for sampling is. For optimal usefulness of this modeling approach, microbial indicators from samples taken early in the season should have the best predictive power. Here, we sampled a field every two weeks across a single growing season and measured a wide array of microbial parameters (amplicon sequencing, abundance of N-cycle related functional genes, and microbial carbon usage) to find the moment when the microbial predictive power for wheat grain baking quality is highest. We found that the highest predictive power for wheat grain quality was for microbial data derived from samples taken early in the season (May-June), which coincides roughly with the seedling and tillering growth stages, that are important for wheat N nutrition. Our models based on LASSO regression also highlighted a set of microbial parameters highly coherent with our previous surveys, including alpha- and beta-diversity indices and N-cycle genes. Taken together, our results suggest that measuring microbial parameters early in the wheat growing season could help farmers better predict wheat grain quality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Numan Ibne Asad
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, QC H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Xiao-Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agroecosystems, Center for Grassland Microbiome and College of Pastoral, Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, People's Republic of China
| | - Jessica Dozois
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, QC H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Hamed Azarbad
- Department of Biology, Evolutionary Ecology of Plants, Philipps-University Marburg,Marburg, 35037, Germany
| | - Philippe Constant
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, QC H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Etienne Yergeau
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, QC H7V 1B7, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Jacquiod S, Raynaud T, Pimet E, Ducourtieux C, Casieri L, Wipf D, Blouin M. Wheat Rhizosphere Microbiota Respond to Changes in Plant Genotype, Chemical Inputs, and Plant Phenotypic Plasticity. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.903008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Modern wheat varieties that were selected since the Green Revolution are generally grown with synthetic chemical inputs, and ancient varieties released before1960 without. Thus, when changes occur in rhizosphere microbiota structure, it is not possible to distinguish if they are due to (i) changes in wheat genotypes by breeding, (ii) modifications of the environment via synthetic chemical inputs, or (iii) phenotypic plasticity, the interaction between wheat genotype and the environment. Using a crossed factorial design in the field, we evaluated the effects of either modern or ancient wheat varieties grown with or without chemical inputs (a N fertilizer, a fungicide, and an herbicide) on “microbiome as a phenotype.” We analyzed the rhizosphere microbiota by bacterial and fungal amplicon sequencing, coupled with microscope observations of mycorrhizal associations. We found that plant genotype and phenotypic plasticity had the most influence on rhizosphere microbiota, whereas inputs had only marginal effects. Phenotypic plasticity was particularly important in explaining diversity variations in bacteria and fungi but had no impact on the mycorrhizal association. Our results show an interest in considering the interaction between wheat genotype and the environment in breeding programs, by focusing on genes involved in the phenotypic plasticity of plant-microbe interactions.
Collapse
|
10
|
A Drying-Rewetting Cycle Imposes More Important Shifts on Soil Microbial Communities than Does Reduced Precipitation. mSystems 2022; 7:e0024722. [PMID: 35762785 PMCID: PMC9426475 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00247-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Global changes will result in altered precipitation patterns, among which the increasing frequency of drought events has the highest deleterious potential for agriculture. Soil microbes have shown some promise to help crops adapt to drought events, but it is uncertain how crop-associated microorganisms will respond to altered precipitation patterns. To investigate this matter, we conducted a field experiment where we seeded two wheat cultivars (one resistant to water stress and the other sensitive) that were subjected to four precipitation exclusion (PE) regimes (0%, 25%, 50%, and 75% exclusion). These cultivars were sampled seven times (every 2 weeks, from May to August) within one growing season to investigate short-term microbiome responses to altered precipitation regimes and seasonality using 16S rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region amplicon sequencing. One of the most striking features of the data set was the dramatic shift in microbial community diversity, structure, and composition together with a doubling of the relative abundance of the archaeal ammonia oxidizer genus Nitrososphaera following an important drying-rewetting event. Comparatively small but significant effects of PE and wheat cultivar on microbial community diversity, composition, and structure were observed. Taken together, our results demonstrate an uneven response of microbial taxa to decreasing soil water content, which was dwarfed by drying-rewetting events, to which soil bacteria and archaea were more sensitive than fungi. Importantly, our study showed that an increase in drying-rewetting cycles will cause larger shifts in soil microbial communities than a decrease in total precipitation, suggesting that under climate changes, the distribution of precipitation will be more important than small variations in the total quantity of precipitation. IMPORTANCE Climate change will have a profound effect on the precipitation patterns of global terrestrial ecosystems. Seasonal and interannual uneven distributions of precipitation will lead to increasing frequencies and intensities of extreme drought and rainfall events, which will affect crop productivity and nutrient contents in various agroecosystems. However, we still lack knowledge about the responses of soil microbial communities to reduced precipitation and drying-rewetting events in agroecosystems. Our results demonstrated an uneven response of the soil microbiome and a dramatic shift in microbial community diversity and structure to a significant drying-rewetting event with a large increase in the relative abundance of archaeal ammonia oxidizers. These findings highlight the larger importance of rewetting of dry soils on microbial communities, as compared to decreased precipitation, with potential for changes in the soil nitrogen cycling.
Collapse
|
11
|
Fournier P, Pellan L, Barroso-Bergadà D, Bohan DA, Candresse T, Delmotte F, Dufour MC, Lauvergeat V, Le Marrec C, Marais A, Martins G, Masneuf-Pomarède I, Rey P, Sherman D, This P, Frioux C, Labarthe S, Vacher C. The functional microbiome of grapevine throughout plant evolutionary history and lifetime. ADV ECOL RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aecr.2022.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
|
12
|
Asad NI, Tremblay J, Dozois J, Mukula E, L'Espérance E, Constant P, Yergeau E. Predictive microbial-based modelling of wheat yields and grain baking quality across a 500km transect in Québec. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2021; 97:6458360. [PMID: 34888659 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiab160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Crops yield and quality are difficult to predict using soil physico-chemical parameters. Because of their key roles in nutrient cycles, we hypothesized that there is an untapped predictive potential in the soil microbial communities. To test our hypothesis, we sampled soils across 80 wheat fields of the province of Quebec at the beginning of the growing season in May-June. We used a wide array of methods to characterize the microbial communities, their functions, and activities, including: 1) amplicon sequencing, 2) real-time PCR quantification, and 3) community-level substrate utilization. We also measured grain yield and quality at the end of the growing season, and key soil parameters at sampling. The diversity of fungi, the abundance of nitrification genes, and the use of specific organic carbon sources were often the best predictors for wheat yield and grain quality. Using 11 or less parameters, we were able to explain 64 to 90% of the variation in wheat yield and grain and flour quality across the province of Quebec. Microbial-based regression models outperformed basic soil-based models for predicting wheat quality indicators. Our results suggest that the measurement of microbial parameters early in the season could help predict accurately grain quality and quantity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Numan Ibne Asad
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, 531 boul. des Prairies, Laval, QC, H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Julien Tremblay
- National Research Council Canada, Energy Mining and Environment, 6100 Royalmount Ave., Montreal, QC, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Jessica Dozois
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, 531 boul. des Prairies, Laval, QC, H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Eugenie Mukula
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, 531 boul. des Prairies, Laval, QC, H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Emmy L'Espérance
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, 531 boul. des Prairies, Laval, QC, H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Philippe Constant
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, 531 boul. des Prairies, Laval, QC, H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Etienne Yergeau
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, 531 boul. des Prairies, Laval, QC, H7V 1B7, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Agoussar A, Azarbad H, Tremblay J, Yergeau É. The resistance of the wheat microbial community to water stress is more influenced by plant compartment than reduced water availability. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2021; 97:6427345. [PMID: 34791186 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiab149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Drought is a serious menace to agriculture across the world. However, it is still not clear how this will affect crop-associated microbial communities. Here, we experimentally manipulated precipitation in the field for two years and compared the bacterial communities associated with leaves, roots, and rhizosphere soils of two different wheat genotypes. The bacterial 16S rRNA gene was amplified and sequenced, while 542 microorganisms were isolated and screened for their tolerance to osmotic stress. The bacterial community was not significantly affected by the precipitation manipulation treatments but differed drastically from one plant compartment to the other. Forty-four isolates, mostly bacteria, showed high levels of resistance to osmotic stress by growing in liquid medium supplemented with 30% polyethylene glycol. The Actinobacteria were overrepresented among these isolates, and in contrast to our expectation, precipitation treatments did not influence the odds of isolating osmotic stress-resistant bacteria. However, the odds were significantly higher in the leaves as compared to the roots, the rhizosphere, or the seeds. Our results suggest that isolation efforts for wheat-compatible water stress resistant bacteria should be targeted at the leaf endosphere and that short-term experimental manipulation of precipitation does not result in a more resistant community.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Asmaâ Agoussar
- Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut national de la recherche scientifique, 531 boulevard des Prairies, Laval, QC H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Hamed Azarbad
- Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Julien Tremblay
- Energy, Mining and Environment, National Research Council Canada, 6100 avenue Royalmount, Montreal, QC H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Étienne Yergeau
- Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut national de la recherche scientifique, 531 boulevard des Prairies, Laval, QC H7V 1B7, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Yadav R, Ror P, Beniwal R, Kumar S, Ramakrishna W. Bacillus sp. and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi consortia enhance wheat nutrient and yield in the second-year field trial: Superior performance in comparison with chemical fertilizers. J Appl Microbiol 2021; 132:2203-2219. [PMID: 34800074 DOI: 10.1111/jam.15371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2021] [Revised: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
AIMS The aim of the study is to analyse the effect of microbial consortia for wheat biofortification, growth, yield and soil fertility as part of a 2-year field study and compare it with the use of chemical fertilizers. METHODS AND RESULTS A field trial (second year) was conducted with various combinations of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) treatments, ranging from a single inoculant to multiple combinations. The microbial consortia used were Bacillus sp. and AMF based on first-year field trial results. The consortia based on native (CP4) and non-native (AHP3) PGPB (Bacillus sp.) and AMF performed better in terms of nutrients content in wheat grain tissue and yield-related traits compared with chemical fertilizer treated and untreated control. Dual treatment of PGPB (CP4+AHP3) combined with AMF resulted in a significant increase in antioxidants. The spatial colonization of AMF in roots indicated that both the isolates CP4 and AHP3 were able to enhance the AMF colonization in root tissue. Furthermore, soil enzymes' activities were higher with the PGPB and AMF combination giving the best results. A positive correlation was recorded between plant growth, grain yield and soil physicochemical parameters. CONCLUSIONS Our findings confirm that the combined treatment of CP4 and AHP3 and AMF functions as an effective microbial consortium with excellent application prospects for wheat biofortification, grain yield and soil fertility compared with chemical fertilizers. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY The extensive application of chemical fertilizers on low-yielding field sites is a severe concern for cereal crops, especially wheat in the Asian continent. This study serves as a primer for implementing site-specific sustainable agricultural-management practices using a green technology leading to significant gains in agriculture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Radheshyam Yadav
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Basic Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab, India
| | - Pankaj Ror
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Basic Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab, India
| | - Rahul Beniwal
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Basic Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab, India
| | - Sanjeev Kumar
- Department of Botany, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab, India
| | - Wusirika Ramakrishna
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Basic Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab, India
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Quiza L, Tremblay J, Greer CW, Hemmingsen SM, St-Arnaud M, Pozniak CJ, Yergeau E. Rhizosphere shotgun metagenomic analyses fail to show differences between ancestral and modern wheat genotypes grown under low fertilizer inputs. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2021; 97:6279035. [PMID: 34014265 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiab071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It is thought that modern wheat genotypes have lost their capacity to associate with soil microbes that would help them acquire nutrients from the soil. To test this hypothesis, ten ancestral and modern wheat genotypes were seeded in a field experiment under low fertilization conditions. The rhizosphere soil was collected, its DNA extracted and submitted to shotgun metagenomic sequencing. In contrast to our hypothesis, there was no significant difference in the global rhizosphere metagenomes of the different genotypes, and this held true when focusing the analyses on specific taxonomic or functional categories of genes. Some genes were significantly more abundant in the rhizosphere of one genotype or another, but they comprised only a small portion of the total genes identified and did not affect the global rhizosphere metagenomes. Our study shows for the first time that the rhizosphere metagenome of wheat is stable across a wide variety of genotypes when growing under nutrient poor conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liliana Quiza
- Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut national de la recherche scientifique, 531 boul. des Prairies, Laval, QC, H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Julien Tremblay
- Energy, Mining, and Environment, National Research Council Canada, 6100 Royalmount Ave., Montréal, QC, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Charles W Greer
- Energy, Mining, and Environment, National Research Council Canada, 6100 Royalmount Ave., Montréal, QC, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Sean M Hemmingsen
- Aquatic and Crop Resource Development, National Research Council Canada, 110 Gymnasium Place Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0W9, Canada
| | - Marc St-Arnaud
- Institut de recherche en biologie végétale, Université de Montréal and Jardin botanique de Montréal, 4101 Sherbrooke East, Montréal, QC, H1X 2B2, Canada
| | - Curtis J Pozniak
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5A8, Canada
| | - Etienne Yergeau
- Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut national de la recherche scientifique, 531 boul. des Prairies, Laval, QC, H7V 1B7, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Agoussar A, Yergeau E. Engineering the plant microbiota in the context of the theory of ecological communities. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2021; 70:220-225. [PMID: 34217124 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2021.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Crop-associated microorganisms are known to have a determining influence on crop growth and resistance to stresses. Indeed, microorganisms can deter pathogens, reduce stress levels, improve nutrition, and stimulate growth. However, the microbial communities associated with a plant are rarely optimal for agricultural needs. But how can we engineer crops-associated microbial communities? An interesting framework to address this question is the theory of ecological communities that stipulates four processes by which communities can change: 1) selection, 2) dispersal, 3) speciation and 4) ecological drift. Of these, speciation and dispersal can result in the addition of new species to the plant microbiota, whereas selection and drift can lead to the loss of species. We believe that if these mechanisms are sufficiently understood, they could be harnessed to purposefully engineer the crop microbiota. Here, we will discuss the recent efforts to modify the phenotype of plants that are aligned with these ecological processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Asmaâ Agoussar
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, 531 Boul. des Prairies, Laval, Québec H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Etienne Yergeau
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, 531 Boul. des Prairies, Laval, Québec H7V 1B7, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Francioli D, Lentendu G, Lewin S, Kolb S. DNA Metabarcoding for the Characterization of Terrestrial Microbiota-Pitfalls and Solutions. Microorganisms 2021; 9:361. [PMID: 33673098 PMCID: PMC7918050 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9020361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Soil-borne microbes are major ecological players in terrestrial environments since they cycle organic matter, channel nutrients across trophic levels and influence plant growth and health. Therefore, the identification, taxonomic characterization and determination of the ecological role of members of soil microbial communities have become major topics of interest. The development and continuous improvement of high-throughput sequencing platforms have further stimulated the study of complex microbiota in soils and plants. The most frequently used approach to study microbiota composition, diversity and dynamics is polymerase chain reaction (PCR), amplifying specific taxonomically informative gene markers with the subsequent sequencing of the amplicons. This methodological approach is called DNA metabarcoding. Over the last decade, DNA metabarcoding has rapidly emerged as a powerful and cost-effective method for the description of microbiota in environmental samples. However, this approach involves several processing steps, each of which might introduce significant biases that can considerably compromise the reliability of the metabarcoding output. The aim of this review is to provide state-of-the-art background knowledge needed to make appropriate decisions at each step of a DNA metabarcoding workflow, highlighting crucial steps that, if considered, ensures an accurate and standardized characterization of microbiota in environmental studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Davide Francioli
- Microbial Biogeochemistry, Research Area Landscape Functioning, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Str. 84, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany; (S.L.); (S.K.)
| | - Guillaume Lentendu
- Laboratory of Soil Biodiversity, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland;
| | - Simon Lewin
- Microbial Biogeochemistry, Research Area Landscape Functioning, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Str. 84, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany; (S.L.); (S.K.)
| | - Steffen Kolb
- Microbial Biogeochemistry, Research Area Landscape Functioning, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Str. 84, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany; (S.L.); (S.K.)
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Kavamura VN, Mendes R, Bargaz A, Mauchline TH. Defining the wheat microbiome: Towards microbiome-facilitated crop production. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:1200-1213. [PMID: 33680361 PMCID: PMC7902804 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.01.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Wheat is one of the world's most important crops, but its production relies heavily on agrochemical inputs which can be harmful to the environment when used excessively. It is well known that a multitude of microbes interact with eukaryotic organisms, including plants, and the sum of microbes and their functions associated with a given host is termed the microbiome. Plant-microbe interactions can be beneficial, neutral or harmful to the host plant. Over the last decade, with the development of next generation DNA sequencing technology, our understanding of the plant microbiome structure has dramatically increased. Considering that defining the wheat microbiome is key to leverage crop production in a sustainable way, here we describe how different factors drive microbiome assembly in wheat, including crop management, edaphic-environmental conditions and host selection. In addition, we highlight the benefits to take a multidisciplinary approach to define and explore the wheat core microbiome to generate solutions based on microbial (synthetic) communities or single inoculants. Advances in plant microbiome research will facilitate the development of microbial strategies to guarantee a sustainable intensification of crop production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa N. Kavamura
- Sustainable Agriculture Sciences, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Rodrigo Mendes
- Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology, Embrapa Environment, Jaguariúna, SP, Brazil
| | - Adnane Bargaz
- Agrobiosciences, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Benguerir, Morocco
| | - Tim H. Mauchline
- Sustainable Agriculture Sciences, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Effects of Different Fertilizer Treatments on Rhizosphere Soil Microbiome Composition and Functions. LAND 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/land9090329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Fertilization influences the soil microbiome. However, little is known about the effects of long-term fertilization on soil microbial metabolic pathways. In this study, we investigated the soil microbiome composition and function and microbial participation in the N cycle according to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and gene ontology (GO) functional annotation of different genes in a metagenomic analysis after long-term fertilization. Fertilizer application significantly changed the soil C/N ratio. Chemical fertilizer (NPK) treatment decreased soil pH, and chemical fertilizer combined with straw (NPK+S0.5) treatment increased ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) but decreased nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N). NPK, NPK+S0.5 and S0.5 applications did not change the soil microbiome composition or dominant phylum but changed the relative abundances of microbiome components. Moreover, fertilizer significantly influenced metabolic processes, cellular processes and single-organism processes. Compared with a no-fertilizer treatment (CK), the NPK treatment resulted in more differentially expressed gene (DEG) pathways than the NPK+S0.5 and S0.5 treatments, and these pathways significantly correlated with soil nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N), available phosphorus (AP) and the moisture content of soil (MC). KEGG analysis found that fertilizer application mainly affected the ribosome, photosynthesis and oxidative phosphorylation pathways. S0.5 and NPK+S0.5 increased microbial nitrogen fixation, and NPK and NPK+S0.5 decreased amoA and amoB and accelerated denitrification. Thus, organic fertilizer increased N fixation and nitrification, and inorganic N fertilizer accelerated denitrification. We found that the function of the soil microbiome under different fertilizer applications could be important for the rational application of fertilizer and for environmental and sustainable development.
Collapse
|