Microbiome-Mediated Mechanisms Regulating Adaptability to Iron Deficiency in the Intercropping System of Soybean and Maize

Iron (Fe) deficiency is a pervasive agricultural concern on a global scale. Intercropping plays a pivotal role in activating soil nutrient cycling and crop nutrient uptake and utilization. This study integrates plant physiology, soil physicochemical determination, high-throughput sequencing, and met...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Wuyu Liu, Guoqing Wang, Shiming Wen, Yiwen Zhao, Yuxin Ding, Baihui Yao, Zhelin Wang, Duntao Shu, Gehong Wei, Juan Chen, Zhouping Shangguan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Agronomy
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/2/286
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849722582019866624
author Wuyu Liu
Guoqing Wang
Shiming Wen
Yiwen Zhao
Yuxin Ding
Baihui Yao
Zhelin Wang
Duntao Shu
Gehong Wei
Juan Chen
Zhouping Shangguan
author_facet Wuyu Liu
Guoqing Wang
Shiming Wen
Yiwen Zhao
Yuxin Ding
Baihui Yao
Zhelin Wang
Duntao Shu
Gehong Wei
Juan Chen
Zhouping Shangguan
author_sort Wuyu Liu
collection DOAJ
description Iron (Fe) deficiency is a pervasive agricultural concern on a global scale. Intercropping plays a pivotal role in activating soil nutrient cycling and crop nutrient uptake and utilization. This study integrates plant physiology, soil physicochemical determination, high-throughput sequencing, and metabolomics techniques to conduct pot experiments using field-collected soils with soybean and maize plants. This study aims to investigate the mechanisms through which microorganisms in a soybean–maize intercropping system regulate Fe deficiency adaptation. The results revealed that intercropping enhances the resilience of soybean and maize in Fe-deficient environments, facilitates nutrient absorption by plants, and enriches soil nutrient content. Moreover, intercropping fostered more intricate microbial interactions in comparison to monocropping. The dominant microorganisms in the rhizosphere of intercropped soybean and maize included genera <i>Microbacterium</i>, <i>Sphingomonas</i>, <i>Shinella,</i> and <i>Rhizobium</i>. <i>Microbacterium</i>, <i>Sphingomonas</i>, <i>Shinella,</i> and <i>Rhizobium</i> have the potential to produce Fe chelators or enhance plant Fe absorption. Additionally, intercropping notably modified the composition of root exudates derived from soybean and maize. The soybean and maize rhizosphere exhibited significant enrichment with oleamide, coumestrol, glycitein, and daidzein. Coumestrol may have an effect of promoting Fe absorption, and it is significantly positively correlated with the genus <i>Nakamurella</i> in the maize rhizosphere and the genus <i>Pirellula</i> in the soybean rhizosphere. Consequently, these findings suggested that the rhizosphere of intercropped soybean and maize significantly enriches specific microbial communities and root exudates, thereby enhancing microecosystem stability and improving plant tolerance to Fe deficiency.
format Article
id doaj-art-007db5ac070f477abe6da705e749c152
institution DOAJ
issn 2073-4395
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Agronomy
spelling doaj-art-007db5ac070f477abe6da705e749c1522025-08-20T03:11:18ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952025-01-0115228610.3390/agronomy15020286Microbiome-Mediated Mechanisms Regulating Adaptability to Iron Deficiency in the Intercropping System of Soybean and MaizeWuyu Liu0Guoqing Wang1Shiming Wen2Yiwen Zhao3Yuxin Ding4Baihui Yao5Zhelin Wang6Duntao Shu7Gehong Wei8Juan Chen9Zhouping Shangguan10State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, ChinaCollege of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, ChinaCollege of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, ChinaState Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, College of Life Science, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, ChinaCollege of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, ChinaCollege of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, ChinaCollege of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, ChinaState Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, College of Life Science, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, ChinaState Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, College of Life Science, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, ChinaState Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, College of Life Science, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, ChinaIron (Fe) deficiency is a pervasive agricultural concern on a global scale. Intercropping plays a pivotal role in activating soil nutrient cycling and crop nutrient uptake and utilization. This study integrates plant physiology, soil physicochemical determination, high-throughput sequencing, and metabolomics techniques to conduct pot experiments using field-collected soils with soybean and maize plants. This study aims to investigate the mechanisms through which microorganisms in a soybean–maize intercropping system regulate Fe deficiency adaptation. The results revealed that intercropping enhances the resilience of soybean and maize in Fe-deficient environments, facilitates nutrient absorption by plants, and enriches soil nutrient content. Moreover, intercropping fostered more intricate microbial interactions in comparison to monocropping. The dominant microorganisms in the rhizosphere of intercropped soybean and maize included genera <i>Microbacterium</i>, <i>Sphingomonas</i>, <i>Shinella,</i> and <i>Rhizobium</i>. <i>Microbacterium</i>, <i>Sphingomonas</i>, <i>Shinella,</i> and <i>Rhizobium</i> have the potential to produce Fe chelators or enhance plant Fe absorption. Additionally, intercropping notably modified the composition of root exudates derived from soybean and maize. The soybean and maize rhizosphere exhibited significant enrichment with oleamide, coumestrol, glycitein, and daidzein. Coumestrol may have an effect of promoting Fe absorption, and it is significantly positively correlated with the genus <i>Nakamurella</i> in the maize rhizosphere and the genus <i>Pirellula</i> in the soybean rhizosphere. Consequently, these findings suggested that the rhizosphere of intercropped soybean and maize significantly enriches specific microbial communities and root exudates, thereby enhancing microecosystem stability and improving plant tolerance to Fe deficiency.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/2/286intercroppingsoybeanmaizeiron deficiencymicrobial communityroot exudates
spellingShingle Wuyu Liu
Guoqing Wang
Shiming Wen
Yiwen Zhao
Yuxin Ding
Baihui Yao
Zhelin Wang
Duntao Shu
Gehong Wei
Juan Chen
Zhouping Shangguan
Microbiome-Mediated Mechanisms Regulating Adaptability to Iron Deficiency in the Intercropping System of Soybean and Maize
Agronomy
intercropping
soybean
maize
iron deficiency
microbial community
root exudates
title Microbiome-Mediated Mechanisms Regulating Adaptability to Iron Deficiency in the Intercropping System of Soybean and Maize
title_full Microbiome-Mediated Mechanisms Regulating Adaptability to Iron Deficiency in the Intercropping System of Soybean and Maize
title_fullStr Microbiome-Mediated Mechanisms Regulating Adaptability to Iron Deficiency in the Intercropping System of Soybean and Maize
title_full_unstemmed Microbiome-Mediated Mechanisms Regulating Adaptability to Iron Deficiency in the Intercropping System of Soybean and Maize
title_short Microbiome-Mediated Mechanisms Regulating Adaptability to Iron Deficiency in the Intercropping System of Soybean and Maize
title_sort microbiome mediated mechanisms regulating adaptability to iron deficiency in the intercropping system of soybean and maize
topic intercropping
soybean
maize
iron deficiency
microbial community
root exudates
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/2/286
work_keys_str_mv AT wuyuliu microbiomemediatedmechanismsregulatingadaptabilitytoirondeficiencyintheintercroppingsystemofsoybeanandmaize
AT guoqingwang microbiomemediatedmechanismsregulatingadaptabilitytoirondeficiencyintheintercroppingsystemofsoybeanandmaize
AT shimingwen microbiomemediatedmechanismsregulatingadaptabilitytoirondeficiencyintheintercroppingsystemofsoybeanandmaize
AT yiwenzhao microbiomemediatedmechanismsregulatingadaptabilitytoirondeficiencyintheintercroppingsystemofsoybeanandmaize
AT yuxinding microbiomemediatedmechanismsregulatingadaptabilitytoirondeficiencyintheintercroppingsystemofsoybeanandmaize
AT baihuiyao microbiomemediatedmechanismsregulatingadaptabilitytoirondeficiencyintheintercroppingsystemofsoybeanandmaize
AT zhelinwang microbiomemediatedmechanismsregulatingadaptabilitytoirondeficiencyintheintercroppingsystemofsoybeanandmaize
AT duntaoshu microbiomemediatedmechanismsregulatingadaptabilitytoirondeficiencyintheintercroppingsystemofsoybeanandmaize
AT gehongwei microbiomemediatedmechanismsregulatingadaptabilitytoirondeficiencyintheintercroppingsystemofsoybeanandmaize
AT juanchen microbiomemediatedmechanismsregulatingadaptabilitytoirondeficiencyintheintercroppingsystemofsoybeanandmaize
AT zhoupingshangguan microbiomemediatedmechanismsregulatingadaptabilitytoirondeficiencyintheintercroppingsystemofsoybeanandmaize