Rhizosphere competent inoculants modulate the apple root–associated microbiome and plant phytoalexins

verfasst von
Kristin Hauschild, Nils Orth, Benye Liu, Adriana Giongo, Silvia Gschwendtner, Ludger Beerhues, Michael Schloter, Doris Vetterlein, Traud Winkelmann, Kornelia Smalla
Abstract

Abstract: Modulating the soil microbiome by applying microbial inoculants has gained increasing attention as eco-friendly option to improve soil disease suppressiveness. Currently, studies unraveling the interplay of inoculants, root-associated microbiome, and plant response are lacking for apple trees. Here, we provide insights into the ability of Bacillus velezensis FZB42 or Pseudomonas sp. RU47 to colonize apple root-associated microhabitats and to modulate their microbiome. We applied the two strains to apple plants grown in soils from the same site either affected by apple replant disease (ARD) or not (grass), screened their establishment by selective plating, and measured phytoalexins in roots 3, 16, and 28 days post inoculation (dpi). Sequencing of 16S rRNA gene and ITS fragments amplified from DNA extracted 28 dpi from different microhabitat samples revealed significant inoculation effects on fungal β-diversity in root-affected soil and rhizoplane. Interestingly, only in ARD soil, most abundant bacterial amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) changed significantly in relative abundance. Relative abundances of ASVs affiliated with Enterobacteriaceae were higher in rhizoplane of apple grown in ARD soil and reduced by both inoculants. Bacterial communities in the root endosphere were not affected by the inoculants but their presence was indicated. Interestingly and previously unobserved, apple plants responded to the inoculants with increased phytoalexin content in roots, more pronounced in grass than ARD soil. Altogether, our results indicate that FZB42 and RU47 were rhizosphere competent, modulated the root-associated microbiome, and were perceived by the apple plants, which could make them interesting candidates for an eco-friendly mitigation strategy of ARD.

Organisationseinheit(en)
Institut für Gartenbauliche Produktionssysteme
Externe Organisation(en)
Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI) Bundesforschungsinstitut für Kulturpflanzen
Technische Universität Braunschweig
Helmholtz Zentrum München - Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt
Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung (UFZ)
Typ
Artikel
Journal
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
Band
108
Anzahl der Seiten
20
ISSN
0175-7598
Publikationsdatum
12.2024
Publikationsstatus
Veröffentlicht
Peer-reviewed
Ja
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete
Biotechnologie, Angewandte Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie
Elektronische Version(en)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-024-13181-8 (Zugang: Offen)