Biological Decline of Alfalfa Is Accompanied by Negative Succession of Rhizosphere Soil Microbial Communities
The growth and biological decline of alfalfa may be linked to the rhizosphere microbiome. However, plant–microbe interactions in the rhizosphere of alfalfa and associated microbial community variations with stand age remain elusive. This study explored the successional pattern of rhizosphere microbi...
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2024-09-01
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| author | Yuanyuan Ma Yan Shen Xiaoping Zhou Hongbin Ma Jian Lan Bingzhe Fu Quanhong Xue |
| author_facet | Yuanyuan Ma Yan Shen Xiaoping Zhou Hongbin Ma Jian Lan Bingzhe Fu Quanhong Xue |
| author_sort | Yuanyuan Ma |
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| description | The growth and biological decline of alfalfa may be linked to the rhizosphere microbiome. However, plant–microbe interactions in the rhizosphere of alfalfa and associated microbial community variations with stand age remain elusive. This study explored the successional pattern of rhizosphere microbial communities across different aged alfalfa stands and its relationship with alfalfa decline. Rhizosphere soils were collected from 2- and 6-year-old alfalfa stands. Control soils were collected from interspaces between alfalfa plants in the same stands. Soil bacterial and fungal communities were characterized by 16S and ITS rRNA gene sequencing, respectively. Specific microbial taxa colonized the rhizosphere soils, but not the control soils. The rhizosphere-specific taxa mainly included potentially beneficial genera (e.g., <i>Dechloromonas</i>, <i>Verrucomicrobium</i>) in the young stand and harmful genera (e.g., <i>Peziza</i>, <i>Campylocarpon</i>) in the old stand. Alfalfa roots regulated soil microbial communities by selective promotion or inhibition of distinct taxa. The majority of time-enriched taxa were reported as harmful fungi, whose relative abundances were negatively correlated with plant traits. Time-depleted taxa were mostly known as beneficial bacteria, which had relative abundances positively correlated with plant traits. The relative abundances of functional bacterial genes associated with vancomycin biosynthesis, zeatin biosynthesis, and amino acid metabolism trended lower in rhizosphere soils from the old stand. An upward trend was observed for fungal pathogens and wood saprotrophs with increasing stand age. The results suggest that root activity drives the negative succession of rhizosphere microbial communities during alfalfa decline in old stands. |
| format | Article |
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| publishDate | 2024-09-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-e7414f403c904c22bbaadc6661cbb58a2025-08-20T01:55:48ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472024-09-011318258910.3390/plants13182589Biological Decline of Alfalfa Is Accompanied by Negative Succession of Rhizosphere Soil Microbial CommunitiesYuanyuan Ma0Yan Shen1Xiaoping Zhou2Hongbin Ma3Jian Lan4Bingzhe Fu5Quanhong Xue6College of Forestry and Prataculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, ChinaCollege of Forestry and Prataculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, ChinaNingxia Rural Science and Technology Development Center, Yinchuan 750001, ChinaCollege of Forestry and Prataculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, ChinaCollege of Forestry and Prataculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, ChinaCollege of Forestry and Prataculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, ChinaCollege of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, ChinaThe growth and biological decline of alfalfa may be linked to the rhizosphere microbiome. However, plant–microbe interactions in the rhizosphere of alfalfa and associated microbial community variations with stand age remain elusive. This study explored the successional pattern of rhizosphere microbial communities across different aged alfalfa stands and its relationship with alfalfa decline. Rhizosphere soils were collected from 2- and 6-year-old alfalfa stands. Control soils were collected from interspaces between alfalfa plants in the same stands. Soil bacterial and fungal communities were characterized by 16S and ITS rRNA gene sequencing, respectively. Specific microbial taxa colonized the rhizosphere soils, but not the control soils. The rhizosphere-specific taxa mainly included potentially beneficial genera (e.g., <i>Dechloromonas</i>, <i>Verrucomicrobium</i>) in the young stand and harmful genera (e.g., <i>Peziza</i>, <i>Campylocarpon</i>) in the old stand. Alfalfa roots regulated soil microbial communities by selective promotion or inhibition of distinct taxa. The majority of time-enriched taxa were reported as harmful fungi, whose relative abundances were negatively correlated with plant traits. Time-depleted taxa were mostly known as beneficial bacteria, which had relative abundances positively correlated with plant traits. The relative abundances of functional bacterial genes associated with vancomycin biosynthesis, zeatin biosynthesis, and amino acid metabolism trended lower in rhizosphere soils from the old stand. An upward trend was observed for fungal pathogens and wood saprotrophs with increasing stand age. The results suggest that root activity drives the negative succession of rhizosphere microbial communities during alfalfa decline in old stands.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/13/18/2589<i>Medicago sativa</i> L.biological declinerhizosphere-specific taxatime-enriched taxatime-depleted taxafunctional prediction |
| spellingShingle | Yuanyuan Ma Yan Shen Xiaoping Zhou Hongbin Ma Jian Lan Bingzhe Fu Quanhong Xue Biological Decline of Alfalfa Is Accompanied by Negative Succession of Rhizosphere Soil Microbial Communities Plants <i>Medicago sativa</i> L. biological decline rhizosphere-specific taxa time-enriched taxa time-depleted taxa functional prediction |
| title | Biological Decline of Alfalfa Is Accompanied by Negative Succession of Rhizosphere Soil Microbial Communities |
| title_full | Biological Decline of Alfalfa Is Accompanied by Negative Succession of Rhizosphere Soil Microbial Communities |
| title_fullStr | Biological Decline of Alfalfa Is Accompanied by Negative Succession of Rhizosphere Soil Microbial Communities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Biological Decline of Alfalfa Is Accompanied by Negative Succession of Rhizosphere Soil Microbial Communities |
| title_short | Biological Decline of Alfalfa Is Accompanied by Negative Succession of Rhizosphere Soil Microbial Communities |
| title_sort | biological decline of alfalfa is accompanied by negative succession of rhizosphere soil microbial communities |
| topic | <i>Medicago sativa</i> L. biological decline rhizosphere-specific taxa time-enriched taxa time-depleted taxa functional prediction |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/13/18/2589 |
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