Effects of Rhizosphere Microorganisms on the Growth of Cereal Crops

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant–Soil Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 4819

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Interests: plant-soil interaction

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Guest Editor
College of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Interests: plant nutrient; rhizosphere ecology; plant-soil-microbial interaction
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Shedding light on the multiple functions of rhizosphere microorganisms and clarifying the interaction between rhizosphere microorganisms and crop plants can advance our understanding of ways to manage rhizosphere microorganisms to promote crop growth. Thus, the main scope of this Special Issue includes: (1) the mechanism of crop and rhizosphere microorganisms regulating soil C, N and P cycles, for instance, ways in which rhizosphere microorganisms and crop growth affect greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient leaching, soil carbon sequestration, etc.; (2) how rhizosphere microorganisms regulate physiological processes, root growth, defense strategies and plant–plant interaction of crop; (3) whether rhizosphere microorganisms can be regulated via agronomic management practices and then influence the multifunctionality of agriculture; and (4) how rhizosphere microorganisms respond to abiotic/biotic stress to regulate the nutrient uptake and growth of cereal.

Dr. Hongbo Li
Dr. Xiaoyan Tang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • cereal
  • nutrient cycling
  • carbon sequestration
  • microbe–host interplay
  • agronomic management

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1492 KiB  
Article
Long-Term Straw Returning Enhances Phosphorus Uptake by Zea mays L. through Mediating Microbial Biomass Phosphorus Turnover and Root Functional Traits
by Xiaoyan Tang, Yuxin Zhou, Runjuan Wu, Kuilin Wu, Hui Zhao, Wanyi Wang, Yanyan Zhang, Rong Huang, Yingjie Wu, Bing Li and Changquan Wang
Plants 2024, 13(17), 2389; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13172389 - 27 Aug 2024
Viewed by 979
Abstract
The intensive use of chemical fertilizers in China to maintain high crop yields has led to significant environmental degradation and destabilized crop production. Returning straw to soil presents a potential alternative to reduce chemical fertilizer requirements and enhance soil fertility. This study investigates [...] Read more.
The intensive use of chemical fertilizers in China to maintain high crop yields has led to significant environmental degradation and destabilized crop production. Returning straw to soil presents a potential alternative to reduce chemical fertilizer requirements and enhance soil fertility. This study investigates the effects of different nitrogen (N) input levels and straw additions on crop phosphorus (P) uptake and soil P availability based on a long-term N-fertilizer trial. The treatments included no fertilizer input (CK), conventional (NPK), reduced NPK (0.75NPK), and straw-amended (SNPK) treatments. Results indicate that SNPK significantly enhances shoot P uptake and crop yields by 43.7–61.9% and 29.3–39.6%, respectively. The SNPK treatment improved rhizosphere P availability and increased the phosphorus activation coefficient (PAC) by 1.72-fold compared to NPK alone. The enhanced soil P availability under SNPK was primarily attributed to an abundance of functional microbes, leading to higher P storage in the microbial biomass P pool and its turnover. Additionally, SNPK promoted root exudate and phosphate-mobilizing microbes, enhancing P mobilization and uptake. Nitrogen fertilization primarily influenced root functional traits related to P acquisition. These findings provide valuable insights for developing effective fertilizer management strategies in maize–oilseed rape rotation systems, emphasizing the benefits of integrating straw with chemical fertilizers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Rhizosphere Microorganisms on the Growth of Cereal Crops)
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19 pages, 6435 KiB  
Article
The Biotechnological Potential of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Isolated from Maize (Zea mays L.) Cultivations in the San Martin Region, Peru
by Winston Franz Ríos-Ruiz, Rosslinn Esmith Tarrillo-Chujutalli, Jose Carlos Rojas-García, Cicerón Tuanama-Reátegui, Danny Fran Pompa-Vásquez and Carlos Alberto Zumaeta-Arévalo
Plants 2024, 13(15), 2075; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13152075 - 26 Jul 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1682
Abstract
Maize (Zea mays L.) is an essential commodity for global food security and the agricultural economy, particularly in regions such as San Martin, Peru. This study investigated the plant growth-promoting characteristics of native rhizobacteria isolated from maize crops in the San Martin [...] Read more.
Maize (Zea mays L.) is an essential commodity for global food security and the agricultural economy, particularly in regions such as San Martin, Peru. This study investigated the plant growth-promoting characteristics of native rhizobacteria isolated from maize crops in the San Martin region of Peru with the aim of identifying microorganisms with biotechnological potential. Soil and root samples were collected from maize plants in four productive zones in the region: Lamas, El Dorado, Picota, and Bellavista. The potential of twelve bacterial isolates was evaluated through traits, such as biological nitrogen fixation, indole acetic acid (IAA) production, phosphate solubilization, and siderophore production, and a completely randomized design was used for these assays. A completely randomized block design was employed to assess the effects of bacterial strains and nitrogen doses on maize seedlings. The B3, B5, and NSM3 strains, as well as maize seeds of the yellow hard ‘Advanta 9139’ variety, were used in this experiment. Two of these isolates, B5 and NSM3, exhibited outstanding characteristics as plant growth promoters; these strains were capable of nitrogen fixation, IAA production (35.65 and 26.94 µg mL−1, respectively), phosphate solubilization (233.91 and 193.31 µg mL−1, respectively), and siderophore production (34.05 and 89.19%, respectively). Furthermore, molecular sequencing identified the NSM3 isolate as belonging to Sporosarcina sp. NSM3 OP861656, while the B5 isolate was identified as Peribacillus sp. B5 OP861655. These strains show promising potential for future use as biofertilizers, which could promote more sustainable agricultural practices in the region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Rhizosphere Microorganisms on the Growth of Cereal Crops)
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11 pages, 1927 KiB  
Article
Effects of AMF on Maize Yield and Soil Microbial Community in Sandy and Saline Soils
by Li Fan, Peng Zhang, Fuzhong Cao, Xueping Liu, Minjia Ji and Min Xie
Plants 2024, 13(15), 2056; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13152056 - 25 Jul 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1731
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effects of applying arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on maize root growth and yield formation under different soil conditions. This study was conducted under sandy soil (S) and saline–alkali soil (Y), with treatments of AMF application (AM) and [...] Read more.
This study aimed to investigate the effects of applying arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on maize root growth and yield formation under different soil conditions. This study was conducted under sandy soil (S) and saline–alkali soil (Y), with treatments of AMF application (AM) and no AMF application (CK). The root characteristics, yield, and quality of maize were measured. High-throughput sequencing technology was employed to assess the impact of AMF on the soil microbial community structure, and the correlation between soil microbes and soil physicochemical properties was elucidated. The results show that under both sandy and saline–alkali soil conditions, AMF application significantly enhanced maize root growth, yield, grain quality, and soil available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), and available potassium (AK) contents compared to the CK treatment. Soil microbial Alpha diversity analysis indicated that AMF application effectively increased soil microbial diversity and richness. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and microbial community structure analysis revealed significant differences in bacterial communities between AM treatment in sandy soil (SAM) and CK in sandy soil (SCK), and significant differences in both bacterial and fungal communities between AM treatment in saline–alkali soil (YAM) and CK in saline–alkali soil (YCK). Furthermore, significant correlations between microbial communities and soil physicochemical properties were found, such as AN, AP, AK, soil salinity (SS), and organic matter (OM) content. AMF application had a greater impact on bacterial communities than on fungal communities. This study demonstrated that the use of AMF as a bio-fungal fertilizer was effective in improving spring maize yields, especially in terms of yield increase and quality stability in sandy and saline soils, thereby contributing to safe and sustainable cropping practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Rhizosphere Microorganisms on the Growth of Cereal Crops)
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