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Article

Multistrain Microbial Inoculant Enhances Yield and Medicinal Quality of Glycyrrhiza uralensis in Arid Saline–Alkali Soil and Modulate Root Nutrients and Microbial Diversity

1
Institute of Biology, Gansu Academy of Sciences, Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources Exploitation and Application, Gansu International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Microorganism and Plant Germplasm Resources & Genetic Improvement, Lanzhou 730000, China
2
Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Agronomy 2025, 15(8), 1879; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15081879 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 27 June 2025 / Revised: 30 July 2025 / Accepted: 1 August 2025 / Published: 3 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Farming Sustainability)

Abstract

Glycyrrhiza uralensis (G. uralensis), a leguminous plant, is an important medicinal and economic plant in saline–alkaline soils of arid regions in China. Its main bioactive components include liquiritin, glycyrrhizic acid, and flavonoids, which play significant roles in maintaining human health and preventing and adjuvantly treating related diseases. However, the cultivation of G. uralensis is easily restricted by adverse soil conditions in these regions, characterized by high salinity, high alkalinity, and nutrient deficiency. This study investigated the impacts of four multistrain microbial inoculants (Pa, Pb, Pc, Pd) on the growth performance and bioactive compound accumulation of G. uralensis in moderately saline–sodic soil. The aim was to screen the most beneficial inoculant from these strains, which were isolated from the rhizosphere of plants in moderately saline–alkaline soils of the Hexi Corridor and possess native advantages with excellent adaptability to arid environments. The results showed that inoculant Pc, comprising Pseudomonas silesiensis, Arthrobacter sp. GCG3, and Rhizobium sp. DG1, exhibited superior performance: it induced a 0.86-unit reduction in lateral root number relative to the control, while promoting significant increases in single-plant dry weight (101.70%), single-plant liquiritin (177.93%), single-plant glycyrrhizic acid (106.10%), and single-plant total flavonoids (107.64%). Application of the composite microbial inoculant Pc induced no significant changes in the pH and soluble salt content of G. uralensis rhizospheric soils. However, it promoted root utilization of soil organic matter and nitrate, while significantly increasing the contents of available potassium and available phosphorus in the rhizosphere. High-throughput sequencing revealed that Pc reorganized the rhizospheric microbial communities of G. uralensis, inducing pronounced shifts in the relative abundances of rhizospheric bacteria and fungi, leading to significant enrichment of target bacterial genera (Arthrobacter, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium), concomitant suppression of pathogenic fungi, and proliferation of beneficial fungi (Mortierella, Cladosporium). Correlation analyses showed that these microbial shifts were linked to improved plant nutrition and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. This study highlights Pc as a sustainable strategy to enhance G. uralensis yield and medicinal quality in saline–alkali ecosystems by mediating microbe–plant–nutrient interactions.
Keywords: multistrain microbial inoculant; Glycyrrhiza uralensis; saline–alkali soil; bioactive compounds; rhizospheric microbial diversity multistrain microbial inoculant; Glycyrrhiza uralensis; saline–alkali soil; bioactive compounds; rhizospheric microbial diversity

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Zhang, J.; Li, X.; Pei, P.; Wang, P.; Guo, Q.; Yang, H.; Xue, X. Multistrain Microbial Inoculant Enhances Yield and Medicinal Quality of Glycyrrhiza uralensis in Arid Saline–Alkali Soil and Modulate Root Nutrients and Microbial Diversity. Agronomy 2025, 15, 1879. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15081879

AMA Style

Zhang J, Li X, Pei P, Wang P, Guo Q, Yang H, Xue X. Multistrain Microbial Inoculant Enhances Yield and Medicinal Quality of Glycyrrhiza uralensis in Arid Saline–Alkali Soil and Modulate Root Nutrients and Microbial Diversity. Agronomy. 2025; 15(8):1879. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15081879

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhang, Jun, Xin Li, Peiyao Pei, Peiya Wang, Qi Guo, Hui Yang, and Xian Xue. 2025. "Multistrain Microbial Inoculant Enhances Yield and Medicinal Quality of Glycyrrhiza uralensis in Arid Saline–Alkali Soil and Modulate Root Nutrients and Microbial Diversity" Agronomy 15, no. 8: 1879. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15081879

APA Style

Zhang, J., Li, X., Pei, P., Wang, P., Guo, Q., Yang, H., & Xue, X. (2025). Multistrain Microbial Inoculant Enhances Yield and Medicinal Quality of Glycyrrhiza uralensis in Arid Saline–Alkali Soil and Modulate Root Nutrients and Microbial Diversity. Agronomy, 15(8), 1879. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15081879

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