Integrated application of synthetic community reduces consumption of herbicide in field Phalaris minor control

Herbicide-based weeds control impacts wheat crops as well.SynComs of Pseudomonas strains reduce the need for high-dose herbicides.100%Axial provides less weed control compared to 75%Axial with C4 SynCom.Axial 75%with C4 SynCom promotes wheat growth than the 75%Axial alone.

Heterosis in root microbiota inhibits growth of soil-borne fungal pathogens in hybrid rice

In nature,plants are colonized by various microbes that play essential roles in their growth and health.Heterosis is a natural genetic phenomenon whereby first-generation hybrids exhibit superior phenotypic performance relative to their parents.It remains unclear whether this concept can be extended to the“hybridization”of microbiota from two parents in their descendants and what benefits the hybrid microbiota might convey.Here,we investigated the structure and function of the root microbiota from three hybrid rice varieties and their parents through amplicon sequencing analysis of bacterial 16S ribosomal DNA(rDNA)and fungal internal transcribed spacer(ITS)regions.We show that the bacterial and fungal root microbiota of the varieties are distinct from those of their parental lines and exhibit potential heterosis features in diversity and composition.Moreover,the root bacterial microbiota of hybrid variety LYP9 protects rice against soil-borne fungal pathogens.Systematic analysis of the protective capabilities of individual strains from a 30-member bacterial synthetic community derived from LYP9 roots indicated that community members have additive protective roles.Global transcription profiling analyses suggested that LYP9 root bacterial microbiota activate rice reactive oxygen species production and cell wall biogenesis,contributing to heterosis for protection.In addition,we demonstrate that the protection conferred by the LYP9 root microbiota is transferable to neighboring plants,potentially explaining the observed hybrid-mediated superior effects of mixed planting.Our findings suggest that some hybrids exhibit heterosis in their microbiota composition that promotes plant health,highlighting the potential for microbiota heterosis in breeding hybrid crops.

Bacterial-fungal interactions under agricultural settings:from physical to chemical interactions

Bacteria and fungi are dominant members of environmental microbiomes.Various bacterial-fungal interactions(BFIs)and their mutual regulation are important factors for ecosystem functioning and health.Such interactions can be highly dynamic,and often require spatiotemporally resolved assessments to understand the interplay which ranges from antagonism to mutualism.Many of these interactions are still poorly understood,especially in terms of the underlying chemical and molecular interplay,which is crucial for inter-kingdom communication and interference.BFIs are highly relevant under agricultural settings;they can be determinative for crop health.Advancing our knowledge related to mechanisms underpinning the interactions between bacteria and fungi will provide an extended basis for biological control of pests and pathogens in agriculture.Moreover,it will facilitate a better understanding of complex microbial community networks that commonly occur in nature.This will allow us to determine factors that are crucial for community assembly under different environmental conditions and pave the way for constructing synthetic communities for various biotechnological applications.Here,we summarize the current advances in the field of BFIs with an emphasis on agriculture.