Rhizosphere最新文献

{"title":"Long-term nutrient management regimes alter root exudation and rhizosphere fungal community structure in turmeric (Curcuma longa L.)","authors":"Anitta Abraham ,&nbsp;C. Sarathambal ,&nbsp;V. Srinivasan ,&nbsp;C.K. Thankamani","doi":"10.1016/j.rhisph.2026.101265","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rhisph.2026.101265","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nutrient management practices profoundly influence rhizosphere microbial dynamics, which are central to soil fertility and sustainable crop production. However, too little consideration has been given to the taxonomic compositions of rhizosphere soil fungi and their interactions with root exudates under different fertilizer regimes in the turmeric cropping system. Here, we investigated the effects of long-term nutrient management regimes, organic (ONM), integrated (INM) and chemical (CNM) on the fungal community structure in turmeric (<em>Curcuma longa</em> L.), rhizosphere, as well as their relationship with soil properties and root exudation patterns. The results showed that nutrient management regimes clearly separated the fungal communities between the treatments. The ONM treatment supported a higher abundance and diversity of beneficial fungal taxa, including Glomeraceae, whereas INM and CNM were dominated by Psathyrellaceae and Spizellomycetaceae. Organic amendments had a significant effect on root exudate composition, the total abundance of sugars, alcohols, alkaloids and derivatives and amino acids and derivatives were high in ONM and INM treatments. NMDS and Mantel analysis revealed significant correlations of fungal diversity with soil pH, OC, P, Ca, Fe, and Zn, while K showed a negative relationship. Redundancy analysis identified soil pH, P, and root-exuded alcohols and amino acids and derivatives as key determinants of fungal community structure. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that biologically driven organic nutrient inputs enhance rhizosphere fungal diversity and improve soil health. Understanding these relationships provides valuable insights for developing nutrient management strategies that promote robust fungal communities and enable sustainable turmeric production systems through ecologically optimized fertilization practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48589,"journal":{"name":"Rhizosphere","volume":"37 ","pages":"Article 101265"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145977454","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adaptive shift to deep soil water use mitigates mining-induced drought stress in Artemisia ordosica","authors":"Xikai Wang ,&nbsp;Yunlan He ,&nbsp;Suping Peng ,&nbsp;Lei Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.rhisph.2026.101259","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rhisph.2026.101259","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the ecologically fragile areas of western China, large-scale underground coal mining induces surface subsidence. These disturbances could alter plant water use strategy (WUS). However, the specific transformation path is not well understood. This study focused on <em>Artemisia ordosica</em> Krasch. (Asteraceae), comparing its WUS between subsidence and undisturbed area. By combining natural stable water isotopes (δ²H and δ¹⁸O) with deuterium labeling approach, we established a water source tracing pathway from soil to xylem. A Bayesian mixing model (MixSIAR) was applied to evaluate the effect of mining subsidence on plant WUS. The results indicated that: (1) Mining subsidence significantly altered near-surface water cycles, manifesting as depleted stable isotope values in both soil and xylem water in subsidence area (P &lt; 0.05); (2) <em>Artemisia ordosica</em> shifted its WUS in subsidence area, transitioning from primarily using shallow soil water (0–80 cm) in the undisturbed area to increasingly relying on deep soil water (80–120 cm). The proportion of shallow soil water uptake decreased by approximately 10.7 %, while deep soil water uptake increased by about 11.3 %; (3) Deuterium labeling effectively created distinct isotope gradients in soil profile, providing a reliable method for identifying plant water sources. This study demonstrates that <em>Artemisia ordosica</em> adapts to mining-induced environmental changes by actively adjusting its WUS.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48589,"journal":{"name":"Rhizosphere","volume":"37 ","pages":"Article 101259"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ecological and functional diversity of sulfur-oxidizing and sulfate-reducing bacteria in Chinese mangrove ecosystems: A comparative review with insights from Guangxi Beihai","authors":"Muhammad Kashif ,&nbsp;Qi Liang ,&nbsp;Can Meng ,&nbsp;Tingmei Li ,&nbsp;Yujia Luo ,&nbsp;Feng Guo ,&nbsp;Dan Wang ,&nbsp;Chengjian Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.rhisph.2026.101260","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rhisph.2026.101260","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mangrove habitats are critical coastal biomes at the land-sea interface, supporting various microbial communities necessary for biogeochemical cycling, including sulfur conversions. The principal players in these systems are sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), which accordingly control sulfur compounds oxidation and reduction. While SRB lowers sulfate to sulfide during organic material decomposition, SOB oxidizes harmful hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) to sulfate (SO₄²⁻). Using nutrient cycling, preservation of sulfur balance, and change of redox potential, these microbial interactions help preserve mangrove ecosystems' stability. Aiming toward Guangxi Beihai, Fujian, Guangdong, and Hainan, this review offers a comparative study of SOB and SRB populations in mangrove habitats throughout China. Salinity, organic matter content, redox potential, and anthropogenic influences affect regional microbial diversity and activity. Hainan's high salinity supports SOB, while Guangxi Beihai's prevailing SRB community has moderate salinity and high organic content. Reflecting their several environmental gradients, Fujian and Guangdong have a balanced presence in both groups. The functional roles of SOB and SRB in sulfur cycling, their interactions with carbon and nitrogen dynamics, and their contributions to ecosystem health are emphasized. It further explores the biotechnological potential of these bacteria in wastewater treatment, heavy metals detoxification, and large-scale environmental bioremediation. Notwithstanding developments in microbial ecology, significant knowledge gaps still exist about the adaptation mechanisms of SOB and SRB under environmental stressors, their interactions with other microbial taxa, and their reactions to climate change. Multi-omics techniques, including metagenomics and transcriptomics, should be used in future studies to disentangle sulfur-metabolizing bacteria's functional variety and ecological roles. Developing sustainable conservation plans, reducing anthropogenic effects, and increasing the resilience of mangrove ecosystems against global environmental change depend on an awareness of these microbial processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48589,"journal":{"name":"Rhizosphere","volume":"37 ","pages":"Article 101260"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genomic comparative analysis of Bradyrhizobium elkanii strains: Exploring the diversity of nod factors","authors":"Igor Daniel Alves Ribeiro ,&nbsp;Anderson José Scherer ,&nbsp;Manuel Megías ,&nbsp;Francisco J. Ollero ,&nbsp;Luciane Maria Pereira Passaglia","doi":"10.1016/j.rhisph.2026.101256","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rhisph.2026.101256","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Bradyrhizobium elkanii</em> is an important rhizobial species that nodulates a wide range of legumes, including soybean, and is widely used as an inoculant to enhance biological nitrogen fixation. This symbiosis is mediated by chemical signaling between plant flavonoids and bacterial nodulation factors (NFs; lipo-chitooligosaccharides, LCOs), whose structural diversity determines host specificity. In addition, genes related to plant growth–promoting (PGP) traits contribute to efficient root colonization and symbiotic performance.</div><div>Here, we performed a comparative genomic analysis of five <em>B. elkanii</em> strains from distinct geographic origins within the SEMIA collection (SEMIA 5011, SEMIA 5026, SEMIA 5027, SEMIA 5019, and SEMIA 587), including two elite inoculant strains, focusing on nodulation gene repertoires and NF profiles. A broader comparison including 56 genomes revealed a open pangenome, characterized by a large accessory fraction enriched in mobilome-related functions, while the core genome was dominated by housekeeping genes.</div><div>PGP gene profiles were largely conserved among strains, encompassing functions associated with phytohormone production, stress mitigation, and plant interaction. Nodulation gene repertoires comprised 25–33 genes organized into four to six clusters. A conserved main nod cluster was identified in all five SEMIA strains and was predicted to be plasmid-associated. NF profiling revealed 37 variants composed of three to five N-acetylglucosamine residues and four major types of chemical modifications. Overall, this study provides new insights into the genomic diversity, nodulation gene architecture, and NF variability of <em>B. elkanii</em>, contributing to a better understanding of the molecular basis underlying symbiotic interactions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48589,"journal":{"name":"Rhizosphere","volume":"37 ","pages":"Article 101256"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939437","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Divergent colonization strategies shape shared and inoculant-specific transcriptional and microbiome dynamics in pea roots","authors":"Ahmad H. Kabir","doi":"10.1016/j.rhisph.2025.101255","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rhisph.2025.101255","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Beneficial microbes can reprogram plant responses, but how ecologically distinct inoculants differentially shape host responses in pea remain unclear. To address this, we analyzed root transcriptional and microbiome responses to <em>Trichoderma afroharzianum</em> T22 and <em>Bacillus subtilis</em> NRRL B-14596. In RNA-seq analysis, <em>T</em>. <em>afroharzianum</em> induced a balanced set of 221 upregulated and 320 downregulated genes, whereas <em>B</em>. <em>subtilis</em> triggered a substantially broader response with 597 genes upregulated and 138 downregulated. <em>T. afroharzianum</em> established a robust endophytic presence within root tissues and induced a symbiosis-oriented transcriptional program, including <em>CASTOR/POLLUX, lectin-domain receptors</em>, <em>Nodule-specific GRP genes</em>, <em>Sucrose synthase</em> and <em>Glutamine synthetase</em>. This was further supported by co-culture assays, where <em>T. afroharzianum</em> significantly stimulated <em>Rhizobium leguminosarum</em> colony expansion, demonstrating a direct fungal–rhizobial synergism. In contrast, <em>B. subtilis</em> remained primarily epiphytic and triggered a broader, stress- and metabolism-focused transcriptome dominated by <em>Ethylene-responsive transcription factors</em>, <em>AUX/IAA repressors</em>, and metal-buffering and proton-gradient regulators, indicating hormone recalibration and rhizoplane homeostasis rather than Nod-factor signaling. Despite these divergent pathways, both microbes converged on antioxidant and detoxification responses, upregulating multiple antioxidant and glutathione-linked genes. Microbiome profiling further revealed that <em>T</em>. <em>afroharzianum</em> recruited symbiosis-enhancing bacterial and fungal taxa (Rhizobiales, <em>Pararhizobium</em>, Hypocreales), whereas <em>B</em>. <em>subtilis</em> selectively enriched a targeted guild of <em>Gemmatimonadales, Capnodiales, Flavobacterium, Paecilomyces known for</em> nutrient mobilization, auxin buffering, and stress mitigation. Together, these findings demonstrate that endophytic fungi and rhizoplane-associated bacteria reprogram host physiology through distinct yet complementary molecular routes, providing a blueprint for engineering synergistic fungal–bacterial consortia to enhance legume performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48589,"journal":{"name":"Rhizosphere","volume":"37 ","pages":"Article 101255"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939433","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enrichment and nitrogen preference of heterotrophic nitrifying bacteria in the maize rhizosphere","authors":"Mengqiu He ,&nbsp;Xiaoqian Dan ,&nbsp;Zichun Wang ,&nbsp;Zucong Cai ,&nbsp;Yi Zhang ,&nbsp;Jinbo Zhang ,&nbsp;Christoph Müller ,&nbsp;Yuanshuo Zhang ,&nbsp;Dejin Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.rhisph.2026.101257","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rhisph.2026.101257","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Heterotrophic nitrification (<em>O</em>_{<em>Nrec</em>}) is a crucial pathway of nitrate (NO₃⁻) production in acidic soils. While plants are known to stimulate <em>O</em>_{<em>Nrec</em>}, the specific microbial agents and their physiological traits remain largely unidentified. Building on our previous ¹⁵N tracing study, which quantified the stimulation of <em>O</em>_{<em>Nrec</em>} by maize, this research further identified the microbial drivers underpinning this phenomenon. Using plant removal and dark incubation treatments, we linked photosynthetic carbon flow to microbial dynamics. Most probable number (MPN) enumeration revealed significant enrichment of heterotrophic nitrifying bacteria and fungi in the rhizosphere, strongly correlated with soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC). We isolated multiple bacterial genera, including <em>Burkholderia</em>, <em>Stenotrophomonas</em>, <em>Bacillus</em>, <em>Sinomonas</em>, <em>Micromonospora</em>, and <em>Terrabacter</em>. These isolates exhibited remarkable metabolic versatility, oxidizing both organic (maize straw) and inorganic ammonium (NH₄⁺) to NO₃⁻. The findings demonstrate that maize plants selectively enrich heterotrophic nitrifiers via root exudates, thereby stimulating O_{<em>Nrec</em>} to enhance nitrogen availability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48589,"journal":{"name":"Rhizosphere","volume":"37 ","pages":"Article 101257"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939443","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Protected cultivation of the stock plant enhances rooting of wounded cuttings of Caryocar brasiliense (Caryocaraceae)","authors":"Adriene Matos dos Santos ,&nbsp;Hellen Cássia Mazzottini-dos-Santos ,&nbsp;Leonardo Monteiro Ribeiro ,&nbsp;Renan Ribeiro Silva ,&nbsp;Nermy Ribeiro Valadares ,&nbsp;Paulo Sérgio Nascimento Lopes","doi":"10.1016/j.rhisph.2025.101254","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rhisph.2025.101254","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Little is known about the factors controlling the efficiency of vegetative propagation by cuttings in tropical woody species. <em>Caryocar brasiliense</em>, an endemic fruit tree of the Cerrado biome, shows great potential for domestication through this technique. This study examined anatomical and physiological aspects related to the effects of the cultivation environment of the stock plants and the timing of wounding at the base of cuttings on the success of propagation. Stock plants were cultivated under full sunlight, shade netting, and greenhouse conditions, while cuttings were wounded at their bases at 0, 7, and 14 days after cutting. Rooting, morphoanatomy, and physiology of both stock plants and cuttings were evaluated, together with the ontogeny of adventitious roots. Greenhouse cultivation promoted greater growth, higher photosynthetic efficiency, and increased carbohydrate concentrations, as well as reduced lignification and phenolic compound accumulation in the cortical region. The phytohormones indole-3-acetic acid and jasmonic acid, together with peroxidase enzyme activity and the ratios of indole-3-acetic acid to 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid, peroxidase, and abscisic acid, showed strong positive correlations with rooting, whereas abscisic acid and zeatin showed negative correlations. Cultivation under 70 % shading and wounding applied seven days after cutting favored adventitious root formation. Adventitious root ontogeny in <em>C. brasiliense</em> is multisite, originating from the vascular cambium, phloem, cortex, and callus, depending on the cutting's origin in relation to the stock plant's cultivation environment. These findings provide insights into optimizing the propagation of <em>C. brasiliense</em> for domestication and conservation purposes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48589,"journal":{"name":"Rhizosphere","volume":"37 ","pages":"Article 101254"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939418","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing root resilience through sustainable agriculture to mitigate heavy metal pollution and abiotic stresses in a changing climate","authors":"Md Shihab Uddine Khan ,&nbsp;Nahid Afridi ,&nbsp;Sadia Afroz Ritu ,&nbsp;Shamsul Islam Shipar ,&nbsp;Samia Binta Zaman ,&nbsp;Noshin Tabassum Hasan ,&nbsp;Shihab Uddin ,&nbsp;Mehedi Hasan ,&nbsp;Mehdi Rahimi ,&nbsp;Mousumi Jahan Sumi ,&nbsp;Shahin Imran","doi":"10.1016/j.rhisph.2025.101251","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rhisph.2025.101251","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Heavy metal (HM) contamination and climate-induced abiotic stresses have emerged as interconnected global challenges that threaten agricultural productivity and food security. Industrial emissions, agrochemical misuse, and wastewater irrigation contribute to the accumulation of toxic metals such as cadmium, lead, arsenic, and mercury in soils, where they disrupt nutrient cycling and impair plant metabolism. Simultaneously, drought and salinity, exacerbated by climate change, alter soil moisture and ion balance, enhancing metal bioavailability and toxicity. The combined effects of these stresses intensify oxidative damage, inhibit photosynthesis, and reduce crop yield. Plants employ multifaceted defense mechanisms, including activation of antioxidant enzymes, osmolyte accumulation, and regulation of metal transporters, supported by hormonal and transcriptional networks. Recent studies also highlight the role of stress memory and epigenetic regulation in enabling cross-tolerance and long-term adaptation. Sustainable mitigation strategies integrate biological, chemical, and genetic approaches to reduce HM uptake and enhance resilience. Phytoremediation, biochar amendment, and the use of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria improve soil quality and stress tolerance, while molecular breeding and CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing accelerate the development of dual-resistant crop varieties. This review consolidates current knowledge on the mechanisms underlying HM uptake, toxicity, and plant adaptation under concurrent abiotic stresses, emphasizing the need for integrated, climate-smart, and biotechnological interventions to ensure sustainable crop production and ecosystem restoration in contaminated agroecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48589,"journal":{"name":"Rhizosphere","volume":"37 ","pages":"Article 101251"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145884728","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of multi-environmental factors on rhizosphere microbial community structure of Paeonia lactiflora Pall. and its interaction mechanism with medicinal quality","authors":"Feifei Yang ,&nbsp;Bingzhen Li ,&nbsp;Shuwen Zhao ,&nbsp;Yun Hu ,&nbsp;Ming Li ,&nbsp;Xiaoming Zhang ,&nbsp;Yujie Song","doi":"10.1016/j.rhisph.2025.101252","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rhisph.2025.101252","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Systematic research on factors influencing the quality of <em>Paeonia lactiflora</em> Pall. and the association between rhizosphere microbial communities and medicinal quality remains limited. In this study, the growth quality and rhizosphere microbial diversity of wild and cultivated <em>Paeonia lactiflora</em> Pall. collected from various producing areas in North China were analyzed in relation to soil chemical properties and climatic conditions. Methods such as high-performance liquid chromatography, Mantel tests, and microbial-quality correlation analysis were employed to investigate the effects of cultivation practices on medicinal quality and to identify key environmental factors driving rhizosphere microbial communities. The results demonstrated that growth parameters (e.g., root length and diameter) and bioactive compound contents (e.g., paeoniflorin, oxypaeoniflorin) were significantly higher in wild <em>Paeonia lactiflora</em> Pall. compared to cultivated plants. Production regions and cultivation practices significantly influenced rhizosphere microbial community structure. The microbial diversity in the rhizosphere of wild plants was higher, enriched with growth-promoting bacteria such as <em>Pseudomonas</em>, whereas cultivated plants favored potential pathogenic fungi like <em>Fusarium</em>. Soil chemical characteristics (pH, total nitrogen, available phosphorus), climatic variables (mean annual precipitation, sunshine duration), and producing areas were the primary environmental drivers shaping rhizosphere microbial communities. Bacterial diversity showed a significant positive correlation with root number and ash content of <em>Paeonia lactiflora</em> Pall., while fungal diversity was closely associated with the accumulation of paeoniflorin and total flavonoids. Beneficial microbes, including <em>Reyranella</em>, <em>Xanthobacteraceae</em>, and <em>Streptomyces</em>, exhibited significantly positive correlations with medicinal growth and secondary metabolite accumulation. In conclusion, this study elucidates the “microbe–environment–medicinal quality” interaction mechanism and highlights multi-factorial synergy in determining the medicinal quality of <em>Paeonia lactiflora</em> Pall. These findings provide theoretical support and novel perspectives for the establishment of genuine production areas, sustainable utilization of medicinal plant resources, and improved cultivation management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48589,"journal":{"name":"Rhizosphere","volume":"37 ","pages":"Article 101252"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145884727","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis Drives rhizosphere-regulated drought tolerance in maize","authors":"Ghulam Murtaza ,&nbsp;Muhammad Usman ,&nbsp;Khairiah Mubarak Alwutayd ,&nbsp;Rashid Iqbal","doi":"10.1016/j.rhisph.2025.101250","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rhisph.2025.101250","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Drought-induced stress is a significant constraint for crop yields in semi-arid and arid areas.</div><div>Yield assessments under water stress indicate that mycorrhizae can alleviate the detrimental impacts of drought, placing them as sustainable options for agricultural practices in affected areas. Thus, we executed a two-year study to examine the effects of root colonization by two AMF species (<em>Diversispora epigaea</em> and <em>Diversispora versiformis</em>) under different drought stress conditions, assessing maize morpho-physiological and biochemical characteristics, nutrient absorption, yield components, oil percentage, and irrigation water efficiency. The research was conducted in a desolate region of Pakistan during the 2023 and 2024 growing seasons. Drought-induced stress was generated at two levels by irrigating after 80 % and 60 % water loss, categorized as severe and mild drought stress. Irrigation after a 40 % reduction in water was considered normal (without stress). The findings demonstrated that regardless of AMF species and level of drought stress, inoculated plants yielded heavier seeds, higher dry matter, chlorophyll (37 %) and carotenoids (41 %), phytohormone (27 %), enhanced oil yields (32 %) and seeds (24.2 %) compared to uninoculated plants. Notably, the maize seed yields of <em>Diversispora epigaea</em>-treated plants under every irrigation treatment surpassed those of <em>Diversispora versiformis</em> inoculated plants and uninoculated plants. Drought stress reduced nitrogen levels in seeds and leaves, whereas AMF enhanced nitrogen levels, particularly when crops were treated with <em>Diversispora epigaea</em>. Moreover, seed phosphorus percentages were not influenced by AMF in 2023. Conversely, the highest phosphorus percentages in seeds and leaves were recorded in crops inoculated with <em>Diversispora epigaea</em> in 2023. Our findings indicate that <em>Diversispora epigaea</em> exhibits greater efficiency under water stress and provides superior support to maize plants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48589,"journal":{"name":"Rhizosphere","volume":"37 ","pages":"Article 101250"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145841152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}