Additions of maize root mucilage to soil changed the structure of the bacterial community

The organic compounds released from roots (rhizodeposits) stimulate the growth of the rhizosphere microbial community. They may be responsible for the differences in the structure of the microbial communities commonly observed between the rhizosphere and the bulk soil. Rhizodeposits consists of a broad range of compounds including root mucilage. The aim of this study was to investigate if additions of maize root mucilage, at a rate of 70 μg C g⁻¹ day⁻¹ for 15 days, to an agricultural soil could affect the structure of the bacterial community. Mucilage additions moderately increased microbial C (+23% increase relative to control), which suggests that the turnover rate of microorganisms consuming this substrate was high. Consistent with this, the number of cultivable bacteria was enhanced by +450%. Catabolic (Biolog^® GN2) and 16S-23S intergenic spacer fingerprints exhibited significant differences between control and mucilage treatments. These data indicate that mucilage can affect both the metabolic and genetic structure of the bacterial community as shown by a greater catabolic potential for carbohydrates. We concluded that mucilage is likely to significantly contribute to differences in the structure of the bacterial communities present in the rhizosphere compared to the bulk soil.     

Elevation of atmospheric CO2 and N-nutritional status modify nodulation, nodule-carbon supply, and root exudation of Phaseolus vulgaris L.

Increased root exudation and a related stimulation of rhizosphere-microbial growth have been hypothesised as possible explanations for a lower nitrogen- (N-) nutritional status of plants grown under elevated atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, due to enhanced plant-microbial N competition in the rhizosphere. Leguminous plants may be able to counterbalance the enhanced N requirement by increased symbiotic N₂ fixation. Only limited information is available about the factors determining the stimulation of symbiotic N₂ fixation in response to elevated CO₂.In this study, short-term effects of elevated CO₂ on quality and quantity of root exudation, and on carbon supply to the nodules were assessed in Phaseolus vulgaris, grown in soil culture with limited (30 mg N kg⁻¹ soil) and sufficient N supply (200 mg N kg⁻¹ soil), at ambient (400 μmol mol⁻¹) and elevated (800 μmol mol⁻¹) atmospheric CO₂ concentrations.Elevated CO₂ reduced N tissue concentrations in both N treatments, accelerated the expression of N deficiency symptoms in the N-limited variant, but did not affect plant biomass production. ¹⁴CO₂ pulse-chase labelling revealed no indication for a general increase in root exudation with subsequent stimulation of rhizosphere microbial growth, resulting in increased N-competition in the rhizosphere at elevated CO₂. However, a CO₂-induced stimulation in root exudation of sugars and malate as a chemo-attractant for rhizobia was detected in 0.5-1.5 cm apical root zones as potential infection sites. Particularly in nodules, elevated CO₂ increased the accumulation of malate as a major carbon source for the microsymbiont and of malonate with essential functions for nodule development. Nodule number, biomass and the proportion of leghaemoglobin-producing nodules were also enhanced. The release of nod-gene-inducing flavonoids (genistein, daidzein and coumestrol) was stimulated under elevated CO₂, independent of the N supply, and was already detectable at early stages of seedling development at 6 days after sowing.     

Nitrogen fertiliser rate affects the frequency of nitrate-dissimilating Pseudomonas spp. in the rhizosphere of Lolium perenne grown under elevated pCO2 (Swiss FACE)

The effect of elevated pCO₂ (60 Pa) on the frequency of nitrate-dissimilating Pseudomonas (NDP) was investigated in the rhizosphere of fertilised Lolium perenne swards in the Swiss Free Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment (FACE) experiment. Numbers of cultivable root-associated Pseudomonas were greater under elevated (60 Pa) than under ambient (36 Pa) pCO₂ in both high and low N-fertilised swards. For both pCO₂ conditions, the NDP frequency decreased with closer root proximity to L. perenne roots in low fertilised swards. Anyway, in high N swards the NDP frequency was similar in root and soil fractions. Thus, N availability may be a major factor influencing NDP populations under elevated pCO₂, most likely due to increased competition for N between plant and nitrate-dissimilating bacteria.     

The influence of nitrogen fertilisation on bacterial activity in the rhizosphere of barley

The effect of nitrogen addition on the activity of rhizosphere bacteria was studied using barley seedlings. Three different nitrogen sources were added to the soil (nitrate, ammonium and ammonium+nitrate) at four different concentrations (0, 100, 300 and 500 mg N kg⁻¹ soil) and the plants were allowed to grow for 6 weeks. The bacterial activity was estimated by measuring thymidine and leucine incorporation into bacteria extracted using homogenisation-centrifugation. Bulk soil bacterial activity was low compared with that of rhizosphere bacteria. Nitrogen addition did not affect the activity of the bulk soil bacteria, indicating that the activity was not nitrogen limited. The thymidine and leucine incorporation rates of rhizosphere bacteria decreased when ammonium or ammonium+nitrate was applied compared with the non-amended controls. No effect on bacterial activity was found following nitrate addition. There was a significant positive correlation between rhizosphere bacterial activity and rhizosphere pH. Shoot length following ammonium treatment was significant lower than in the non-amended control, while nitrate and ammonium+nitrate addition had no effect. This indicates that the varying effects due to nitrogen sources on rhizosphere bacterial activity were not due to effects on plant growth.     

杨树刺槐混交林及纯林根际微生物数量及其生化强度的季节性动态研究

测定了杨树、刺槐混交林及纯林根际土壤微生物数量及其生化强度的季节性动态变化。结果表明 ,混交后根际土壤微生物数量和生化强度高于纯林 ,其中硝化细菌数量及硝化强度、解无机磷微生物数量及磷转化强度尤为显著 ,幅度达 1～ 2倍。说明混交后更有利于氮、磷养分的有效化。并且在生长旺季根际微生物的数量和生化活性最高 ,有利于树木的旺盛生长。     

烤烟根际微生物群落结构及其动态变化的研究

选择贵州省三种典型的植烟土壤———中性紫色土、黄壤和黄色石灰土为对象,研究了烤烟根际微生物群落结构及其动态变化。结果表明,在烤烟生长过程中,根际细菌的数量在团棵期最低,然后逐渐增加,现蕾期达到峰值,进而又逐渐减少;放线菌和真菌数量从团棵期到成熟期呈增长趋势。土壤类型不同,根际细菌和放线菌的数量不一样,黄壤>黄色石灰土>中性紫色土;真菌数量,中性紫色土>黄壤>黄色石灰土。烤烟根际微生物的种群多样性及其变化在不同土壤中表现也不一样,相对于黄壤和黄色石灰土,在中性紫色土中,根际微生物的优势种群数目较多,根际细菌和放线菌种群更具多样性,而且较稳定,表明其群落结构更为合理,这可能与中性紫色土上的烟草青枯病发生率较低有一定关系。     

大气CO2浓度升高对植物 土壤系统地下过程影响的研究

综述了大气CO2浓度升高对根系、根际、根系分泌物、土壤呼吸和土壤物质转化和C、N循环影响的研究进展,阐述了有关实验的研究情况,以及它们在整个生态系统响应大气CO2浓度升高中的重要作用、目前研究中存在的争论、以及还需要研究的领域和方向及其研究的重要性。     

樱桃根际土壤酶活性与土壤养分动态变化及其关系研究

通过盆栽试验研究了樱桃根际脲酶、磷酸酶活性与氮、磷、钾动态变化及其相互关系。结果表明,生长季前期樱桃根际脲酶、磷酸酶活性明显提高,根际酶活性显著高于根外,随物候期进展土壤酶活性及R/S值逐渐降低。氮、磷、钾元素在年生长周期内整体上呈下降趋势,生长季前期根际全氮、碱解氮及全磷亏缺明显,而根际有效磷、速效钾明显富集,这种作用亦随物候期进展逐渐减弱。土壤脲酶、磷酸酶活性与氮磷钾土壤营养元素含量间存在着一定的相关性,以春梢停长期相关程度最高。     

苹果砧木苗根际微域环境的研究

本文以平邑甜茶，平顶海棠和新疆海棠三种苹果常用砧木苗试材，采用分层取样的根际箱法对其根际微域的环境状况进行了研究。结果表明，根际微域ｐＨ和氧化还原电位下降，Ｎ，Ｐ，Ｋ表现根际亏缺，Ｃａ和Ｍｇ在根表积累。     

玉米生长中的土壤呼吸及其受氮肥施用的影响

运用盆栽试验研究了玉米生长和施氮水平(N 150 mg kg-1和300 mg kg-1)对土壤呼吸的影响。结果表明种植玉米的土壤呼吸速率(C)的变化范围为19. 6 ~ 762. 1 mg m-2h-1,而裸土为4. 3 ~ 36mg m-2h-1。在玉米生长的条件下,苗期土壤呼吸最低,73%的土壤呼吸分配在拔节孕穗期和成熟期。玉米生长中各阶段根际呼吸对土壤呼吸的贡献在58%~98%,苗期最小。施氮对裸土呼吸速率无显著影响;在玉米生长的条件下,施用高氮的土壤呼吸比施用低氮高28%,且两种施氮水平下土壤呼吸的差异主要发生在生长中后期。玉米生长的条件下土壤呼吸与温度的相关性不显著,而裸土下土壤呼吸速率与气温、表土温度、5 cm土壤温度均呈极显著的相关性;裸土施用高氮下的土壤呼吸与温度的相关性大于低氮。总之,玉米生长和土壤施氮不仅影响土壤呼吸速率和呼吸量,也影响土壤呼吸在各生长阶段的分配,还影响到土壤呼吸与温度的关系。