Endophytes Enhance Rice Inorganic Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Mitigate Nitrogen Loss Via Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction To Ammonium in Paddy Soils

Abstract Rice cultivation involves the large amounts of fertilizers application, but nitrogen (N) use efficiency remains low. Endophytes are considered key microorganisms that regulate nitrogen utilization and gaseous nitrogen loss in rice paddy ecosystems. However, systematic studies on the effecti...

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Main Authors: Mengting Liu, Ting Liu, Zixian Zhang, Jinzhi Yao, Xiao Xiao, Huanhuan An, Pangzhi Wei, Xubiao Luo, Shuping Qin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2025-07-01
Series:Rice
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12284-025-00814-3
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author Mengting Liu
Ting Liu
Zixian Zhang
Jinzhi Yao
Xiao Xiao
Huanhuan An
Pangzhi Wei
Xubiao Luo
Shuping Qin
author_facet Mengting Liu
Ting Liu
Zixian Zhang
Jinzhi Yao
Xiao Xiao
Huanhuan An
Pangzhi Wei
Xubiao Luo
Shuping Qin
author_sort Mengting Liu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Rice cultivation involves the large amounts of fertilizers application, but nitrogen (N) use efficiency remains low. Endophytes are considered key microorganisms that regulate nitrogen utilization and gaseous nitrogen loss in rice paddy ecosystems. However, systematic studies on the effectiveness and underlying mechanisms of endophytes in nitrogen utilization by crops within paddy fields are still scarce. This study employed microcosmic experiments to investigate the effects of endophytes on gaseous nitrogen loss from paddy soil and inorganic nitrogen utilization in rice plants. Results demonstrated that colonization of endophytes increased the efficiency of inorganic N use by approximately twofold. The simultaneous addition of rice roots colonized with endophytes to the soil resulted in a significant increase in ammonium (NH4 +) concentrations by 121-138% as well. Notably, colonization with endophytes reduced cumulative nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions by 13-21% compared to the control. Importantly, the endophytes were shown to enhance soil redox capacity by increasing Clostridium abundance and Fe2+ concentration, thereby promoting the dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) and mitigating soil N loss. These findings underline the potential of rice endophytes in paddy field management to enhance soil nitrogen retention and reduce nitrogen loss. Graphical Abstract
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institution DOAJ
issn 1939-8425
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language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
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series Rice
spelling doaj-art-c1c2d88d86744f33affc2ad2df0251df2025-08-20T03:06:05ZengSpringerOpenRice1939-84251939-84332025-07-0118111210.1186/s12284-025-00814-3Endophytes Enhance Rice Inorganic Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Mitigate Nitrogen Loss Via Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction To Ammonium in Paddy SoilsMengting Liu0Ting Liu1Zixian Zhang2Jinzhi Yao3Xiao Xiao4Huanhuan An5Pangzhi Wei6Xubiao Luo7Shuping Qin8Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Persistent Pollutants Prevention Control and Resource Reuse, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Heavy Metals Pollutants Control and Resource Utilization, Nanchang Hangkong UniversityKey Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Persistent Pollutants Prevention Control and Resource Reuse, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Heavy Metals Pollutants Control and Resource Utilization, Nanchang Hangkong UniversityKey Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Persistent Pollutants Prevention Control and Resource Reuse, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Heavy Metals Pollutants Control and Resource Utilization, Nanchang Hangkong UniversityKey Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, The Chinese Academy of SciencesKey Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Persistent Pollutants Prevention Control and Resource Reuse, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Heavy Metals Pollutants Control and Resource Utilization, Nanchang Hangkong UniversityKey Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Persistent Pollutants Prevention Control and Resource Reuse, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Heavy Metals Pollutants Control and Resource Utilization, Nanchang Hangkong UniversityKey Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Persistent Pollutants Prevention Control and Resource Reuse, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Heavy Metals Pollutants Control and Resource Utilization, Nanchang Hangkong UniversityKey Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Persistent Pollutants Prevention Control and Resource Reuse, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Heavy Metals Pollutants Control and Resource Utilization, Nanchang Hangkong UniversityKey Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, The Chinese Academy of SciencesAbstract Rice cultivation involves the large amounts of fertilizers application, but nitrogen (N) use efficiency remains low. Endophytes are considered key microorganisms that regulate nitrogen utilization and gaseous nitrogen loss in rice paddy ecosystems. However, systematic studies on the effectiveness and underlying mechanisms of endophytes in nitrogen utilization by crops within paddy fields are still scarce. This study employed microcosmic experiments to investigate the effects of endophytes on gaseous nitrogen loss from paddy soil and inorganic nitrogen utilization in rice plants. Results demonstrated that colonization of endophytes increased the efficiency of inorganic N use by approximately twofold. The simultaneous addition of rice roots colonized with endophytes to the soil resulted in a significant increase in ammonium (NH4 +) concentrations by 121-138% as well. Notably, colonization with endophytes reduced cumulative nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions by 13-21% compared to the control. Importantly, the endophytes were shown to enhance soil redox capacity by increasing Clostridium abundance and Fe2+ concentration, thereby promoting the dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) and mitigating soil N loss. These findings underline the potential of rice endophytes in paddy field management to enhance soil nitrogen retention and reduce nitrogen loss. Graphical Abstracthttps://doi.org/10.1186/s12284-025-00814-3Nitrogen Use EfficiencyDissimilatory Nitrate Reduction To AmmoniumEndophyteNitrogen Loss
spellingShingle Mengting Liu
Ting Liu
Zixian Zhang
Jinzhi Yao
Xiao Xiao
Huanhuan An
Pangzhi Wei
Xubiao Luo
Shuping Qin
Endophytes Enhance Rice Inorganic Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Mitigate Nitrogen Loss Via Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction To Ammonium in Paddy Soils
Rice
Nitrogen Use Efficiency
Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction To Ammonium
Endophyte
Nitrogen Loss
title Endophytes Enhance Rice Inorganic Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Mitigate Nitrogen Loss Via Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction To Ammonium in Paddy Soils
title_full Endophytes Enhance Rice Inorganic Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Mitigate Nitrogen Loss Via Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction To Ammonium in Paddy Soils
title_fullStr Endophytes Enhance Rice Inorganic Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Mitigate Nitrogen Loss Via Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction To Ammonium in Paddy Soils
title_full_unstemmed Endophytes Enhance Rice Inorganic Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Mitigate Nitrogen Loss Via Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction To Ammonium in Paddy Soils
title_short Endophytes Enhance Rice Inorganic Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Mitigate Nitrogen Loss Via Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction To Ammonium in Paddy Soils
title_sort endophytes enhance rice inorganic nitrogen use efficiency and mitigate nitrogen loss via dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium in paddy soils
topic Nitrogen Use Efficiency
Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction To Ammonium
Endophyte
Nitrogen Loss
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12284-025-00814-3
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