Modification of total and phosphorus mineralizing bacterial communities associated with Zea mays L. through plant development and fertilization regimes

• Main Authors: Yuan-yuan XIN, Anisur RAHMAN, Hui-xiu LI, Ting XU, Guo-chun DING, Ji LI
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2021-11-01
• Series: Journal of Integrative Agriculture
• Subjects: organic fertilization; bacterial diversity; phosphorus mineralizing bacteria (PMB); Zea mays L.; rhizosphere
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S209531192063413X

Harnessing the rhizospheric microbiome, including phosphorus mineralizing bacteria (PMB), is a promising technique for maintaining sustainability and productivity in intensive agricultural systems. However, it is unclear as to which beneficial taxonomic group populations in the rhizosphere are potentially associated with the changes in soil microbiomes shifted by fertilization regimes. Herein, we analyzed the diversity and community structure of total bacteria and PMB in the rhizosphere of maize (Zea mays L.) grown in soils under 25 years of four fertilization regimes (compost, biocompost, chemical, or non-fertilized) via selective culture and Illumina sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes. Plant development explained more variations (29 and 13%, respectively) in the composition of total bacteria and PMB in the rhizosphere of maize than the different fertilization regimes. Among those genera enriched in the rhizosphere of maize, the relative abundances of Oceanobacillus, Bacillus, Achromobacter, Ensifer, Paracoccus, Ramlibacter, and Luteimonas were positively correlated with those in the bulk soil. The relative abundance of Paracoccus was significantly higher in soils fertilized by compost or biocompost than the other soils. Similar results were also observed for PMB affiliated with Ensifer, Bacillus, and Streptomyces. Although plant development was the major factor in shaping the rhizospheric microbiome of maize, fertilization regimes might have modified beneficial rhizospheric microbial taxa such as Bacillus and Ensifer.