Silicon and plant nutrition—dynamics,mechanisms of transport and role of silicon solubilizer microbiomes in sustainable agriculture: A review

Silicon (Si) is the second most abundant element in the Earth’s crust and has numerous roles in both soils and plants, although it is inaccessible to plants in its native state (insoluble silicate minerals). This inaccessibility can lead to insufficiency, which induces anomalies in plant growth and development.Specifically, Si alleviates various biotic and abiotic stresses in plants by enhancing tolerance mechanisms at different stages of uptake/deposition as a monosilicic acid. Exclusive utiliz...     

植物促生菌的功能及在可持续农业中的应用

全球气候变化以及人口增长加剧了农业生产中各种生物（如病原菌）和非生物（如干旱、盐渍、高温等）胁迫,并通过影响植物形态、生理生化特征和代谢功能等阻碍植物的生长、发育和生产力提升,最终影响农作物的产量和品质并严重威胁着农业的可持续发展。随着现代农业的大力发展,有益微生物因其能够改良土壤质量、提高土壤肥力、提升农作物抗胁迫性能和增产提质的功效显著而备受关注。简要概述了植物促生菌（Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria,PGPB）的种类和施用效应,重点剖析了PGPB产生植物生长激素、固氮作用、加强对营养物质的吸收利用（溶磷、解钾和合成铁载体）、缓解生物和非生物胁迫以及调节植物根系构型和根际微生物群落结构等促生和抗胁迫机制,系统梳理了近年来运用于现代农业中的PGPB菌剂制备和施用方式的前沿科学技术,并进一步讨论了PGPB在未来农业生产中的应用前景以及研究方向。     

Potential of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria-plant interactions in mitigating salt stress for sustainable agriculture: A review

Soil salinization affecting different crops is one of the serious threats to global food security.Soil salinity affects 20%and 33%of the total cultivated and irrigated agricultural lands,respectively,and has been reported to caused a global crop production loss of 27.3 billion USD.The conventional approaches,such as using salt-tolerant varieties,saline soil scrapping,flushing,leaching,and adding supplements (e.g.,gypsum and lime),often fail to alleviate stress.In this context,developing diverse arrays of microbes enhancing crop productivity under saline soil conditions without harming soil health is necessary.Various advanced omics approaches have enabled gaining new insights into the structure and metabolic functions of plant-associated beneficial microbes.Various genera of salt-tolerating rhizobacteria ameliorating biotic and abiotic stresses have been isolated from different legumes,cereals,vegetables,and oil seeds under extreme alkaline and saline soil conditions.Rapid progress in rhizosphere microbiome research has revived the belief that plants may be more benefited from their association with interacting diverse microbial communities as compared with individual members in a community.In the last decade,several salt-tolerating plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) that improve crop production under salt stress have been exploited for the reclamation of saline agrosystems.This review highlights that the interaction of salt-tolerating microbes with plants improves crop productivity under salinity stress along with potential salt tolerance mechanisms involved and will open new avenues for capitalizing on cultivable diverse microbial communities to strengthen plant salt tolerance and,thus,to refine agricultural practices and production under saline conditions.     

Contributions of biotic and abiotic factors to soil aggregation across a land use gradient

Soil aggregation is a major ecosystem process that can be impacted by intensified land use directly through soil disturbances, or indirectly through impacts on biotic and abiotic factors that affect soil aggregation. We collected soils from 27 grassland sites across a range of land use intensities including varying levels of mowing, grazing, and fertilization in order to test the importance of selected direct and indirect effects on soil aggregation. We measured root length and mass, root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), extraradical AMF hyphal length, soil aggregation, and soil hydrophobicity. We also quantified levels of phosphorus, nitrogen, organic carbon, carbonate carbon, and sand in the soil.As land use intensity (defined as a multivariate index combining mowing, grazing, and fertilization intensities) increased, root mass decreased and length of extraradical hyphae increased. Total colonization by AMF was unaffected by land use intensity, but vesicular colonization tended to increase while arbuscular colonization declined. Soil aggregation increased with increasing land use intensity. We used structural equation models to explore mechanisms of soil aggregation and found that extraradical AMF hyphal length contributed to soil aggregation in models containing only biotic explanatory factors. When we also included abiotic factors in the model, no biotic factor was significant, and soil aggregation decreased as levels of sand and carbonate increased, likely due to concurrent decreases in levels of clay in the soil.In summary, we have shown that agricultural measures such as mowing, grazing, and fertilization can increase soil aggregation in managed grasslands. Furthermore, abiotic factors can be more important for determining soil aggregation than biotic factors, especially in highly aggregated soils. Aggregate turnover may be reduced in such highly aggregated soils past the point required to ensure efficient integration of new labile C into stable aggregates.     

Productivity,nutrient uptake and post-harvest soil fertility as influenced by cotton-based cropping system with integrated nutrient management practices in semi-arid tropics

Field experiments were conducted on cotton to evaluate the different cotton-based intercropping system along with balanced nutrient management practices on enhancing cotton productivity. Cropping systems have been considered as main plots and nutrient management practices have been considered as subplots. The results showed that cotton + onion system recorded the highest cotton equivalent yield (CEY) of 2052 and 1895 kg ha^?1 which was on par with cotton intercropped with dhaincha, which recorded 2010 and 1894 kg of CEY ha^?1 in both the seasons. Combined application of 100% recommended NPK with bioinoculants (S₅) registered highest CEY in both the seasons. Cotton intercropped with dhaincha (M₂) recorded highest uptake of N, P, and K. Among the nutrient management practices, application of 100% recommended NPK with bioinoculants (S₅) showed highest uptake of N, P, and K. A similar trend was noticed in the post-harvest soil fertility too and it is significantly higher under cotton + dhaincha and application of 100% recommended NPK with bioinoculants treatment compared to 100% recommend NPK alone. It could be concluded from these results that crop productivity can be improved and soil fertility status can be sustained with integrated plant nutrient management practices.     

Actinobacteria-enhanced plant growth, nutrient acquisition, and crop protection: Advances in soil, plant, and microbial multifactorial interactions

Agricultural areas of land are deteriorating every day owing to population increase, rapid urbanization, and industrialization. To feed today’s huge populations, increased crop production is required from smaller areas, which warrants the continuous application of high doses of inorganic fertilizers to agricultural land. These cause damage to soil health and, therefore, nutrient imbalance conditions in arable soils. Under these conditions, the benefits of microbial inoculants (such as Actinobacteria) as replacements for harmful chemicals and promoting ecofriendly sustainable farming practices have been made clear through recent technological advances. There are multifunctional traits involved in the production of different types of bioactive compounds responsible for plant growth promotion, and the biocontrol of phytopathogens has reduced the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. There are some well-known groups of nitrogen-fixing Actinobacteria, such as Frankia, which undergo mutualism with plants and offer enhanced symbiotic trade-offs.In addition to nitrogen fixation, increasing availability of major plant nutrients in soil due to the solubilization of immobilized forms of phosphorus and potassium compounds, production of phytohormones, such as indole-3-acetic acid, indole-3-pyruvic acid, gibberellins, and cytokinins, improving organic matter decomposition by releasing cellulases, xylanase, glucanases, lipases, and proteases, and suppression of soil-borne pathogens by the production of siderophores, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, and chitinase are important features of Actinobacteria useful for combating biotic and abiotic stresses in plants.The positive influence of Actinobacteria on soil fertility and plant health has motivated us to compile this review of important findings associated with sustaining plant productivity in the long run.     

病原青枯菌土壤存活的影响因素研究进展

土传青枯病是一种毁灭性的细菌性病害,广泛分布于热带、亚热带和温带地区,严重威胁世界粮食安全。病原青枯菌主要从土壤中侵染作物根系,其在土壤中存活能力强,因此防治极为困难。明确病原青枯菌土壤存活的关键影响因素有助于开发高效阻控土传青枯病的措施。国内外学者在青枯菌的土壤存活方面开展了大量研究,但由于影响青枯菌土壤存活的因素复杂,而相关研究多围绕单一因素展开,缺乏针对青枯菌土壤存活规律和影响因素的系统性认识。本文系统梳理了青枯菌的自身特性（基因、行为和代谢产物）及土壤生物、非生物因素对其在土壤中存活的影响,阐明了青枯菌在寄主存在时土体存活、向寄主根表方向运动迁移时根际存活以及入侵寄主根系时根表存活的主要影响因子,以期为土传青枯病的系统阻控提供参考。     

土传病原细菌的生存与致病权衡

土传病原细菌严重威胁土壤-植物系统健康和农业可持续发展。在接触和入侵寄主植物根系之前,病原细菌会经受土壤pH、含氧量、营养物质种类和数量等非生物因素骤变以及其他土壤微生物的竞争、寄生和捕食等生物胁迫。病原细菌的生物膜形成、代谢、运动、毒力、DNA修复以及对噬菌体、抗生素或环境压力的抵抗能力等特性对其在土壤环境中生存和侵染寄主非常重要。为适应复杂且多变的土壤生物和非生物环境,病原细菌必须动态权衡其生存和致病力之间的关系,维持其生存、传播、增殖和侵染致病间的平衡,以最大化其在土壤环境中的适应性。系统理解土传病原细菌应对胁迫和侵染寄主植物的过程及权衡机制是建立精准、高效生态防控手段的关键。为此,以土传病原细菌为代表,总结了土传病原细菌生存与致病的权衡规律和典型现象及土壤中的生物和非生物影响因素,阐述了土传病原细菌入侵植物根际过程中的生存与致病权衡机制,并提出一些与土传病原细菌生存与致病权衡相关的科学问题,呼吁建立基于生存-致病权衡理论的土传病害生态防控策略,为绿色农业可持续发展提供理论参考。     

Managing plant-environment-symbiont interactions to promote plant performance under low temperature stress

Low-temperature stresses, also referred to as cold temperature stresses, including chilling and freezing temperatures, are among the major abiotic stresses that severely reduce plant yield, quality, and marketability and pose a serious threat to plant production during whole plant life cycles. Plant-environment-symbiont interactions determine the symbiotic and crop performance and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. To achieve the optimum outcome, it is essential to consider not only plant-symbiont relationships, but also symbiont adaptation and symbiont-symbiont interactions under changing environmental conditions and different plant growth stages. Improving multi-symbiotic component systems and symbiont breeding together can be a useful strategy to improve symbiosis and, thus, crop production. In this review article, the role of interactions between multi-symbiotic components and plant-environment-symbiont relationships and the related biotechnology approaches are discussed in order to find the most effective sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural practices to improve crop performance and mitigate the adverse effects of low temperatures on plants.     

土传病原细菌的生存与致病权衡

土传病原细菌严重威胁土壤-植物系统健康和农业可持续发展。在接触和入侵寄主植物根系之前,病原细菌会经受土壤pH、含氧量、营养物质种类和数量等非生物因素骤变以及其他土壤微生物的竞争、寄生和捕食等生物胁迫。病原细菌的生物膜形成、代谢、运动、毒力、DNA修复以及对噬菌体、抗生素或环境压力的抵抗能力等特性对其在土壤环境中生存和侵染寄主非常重要。为适应复杂且多变的土壤生物和非生物环境,病原细菌必须动态权衡其生存和致病力之间的关系,维持其生存、传播、增殖和侵染致病间的平衡,以最大化其在土壤环境中的适应性。系统理解土传病原细菌应对胁迫和侵染寄主植物的过程及权衡机制是建立精准、高效生态防控手段的关键。为此,以土传病原细菌为代表,总结了土传病原细菌生存与致病的权衡规律和典型现象及土壤中的生物和非生物影响因素,阐述了土传病原细菌入侵植物根际过程中的生存与致病权衡机制,并提出一些与土传病原细菌生存与致病权衡相关的科学问题,呼吁建立基于生存-致病权衡理论的土传病害生态防控策略,为绿色农业可持续发展提供理论参考。     

The importance and ecology of yeasts in soil

This review focuses on literature pertaining to the interactions of soil yeasts with biotic and abiotic factors in their environment. Soil yeasts not only affect microbial and plant growth, but may also play a role in soil aggregate formation and maintenance of soil structure. Serving as a nutrient source for bacterial, faunal and protistan predators, soil yeasts contribute to essential ecological processes such as the mineralization of organic material and dissipation of carbon and energy through the soil ecosystem. Some soil yeasts may also play a role in both the nitrogen and sulphur cycles and have the ability to solubilize insoluble phosphates making it more readily available for plants. Recently, the potential of soil yeasts as plant growth promoters and soil conditioners has been studied with the goal of using them in the field of sustainable agriculture.     

Evaluation of soil health in organic vs. conventional farming of basmati rice in North India

Conventional agricultural practices that use excessive chemical fertilizers and pesticides come at a great price with respect to soil health, a key component to achieve agricultural sustainability. Organic farming could serve as an alternative agricultural system and solve the problems associated with the usage of agro‐chemicals by sustainable use of soil resources. A study was carried out to evaluate the impact of organic vs . conventional cultivations of basmati rice on soil health during Kharif (rainy) season of 2011 at Kaithal district of Haryana, India, under farmers' participatory mode. Long‐term application of organic residues in certified organic farms was found to improve physical, chemical, and biological indicators of soil health. Greater organic matter buildup as indicated by higher soil organic carbon content in organic fields was critical to increase soil aggregate stability by increasing water holding capacity and reducing bulk density. Proper supplementation of nutrients (both major and micro nutrients) through organic residue addition favored biologically available nutrients in organic systems. Further, the prevalence of organic substrates stimulated soil microorganisms to produce enzymes responsible for the conversion of unavailable nutrients to plant available forms. Most importantly, a closer look at the relationship between physicochemical and biological indicators of soil health evidenced the significance of organic matter to enzyme activities suggesting enhanced nutrient cycling in systems receiving organic amendments. Enzyme activities were very sensitive to short‐term (one growing season) effects of organic vs . conventional nutrient management. Soil chemical indicators (organic matter and nutrient contents) were also changed in the short‐term, but the response was secondary to the biochemical indicators. Taken together, this study indicates that organic farming practices foster biotic and abiotic interactions in the soil which may facilitate in moving towards a sustainable food future.     

A review of plant disease, pathogen interactions and microbial antagonism under conservation tillage in temperate humid agriculture

The advent of conservation tillage presents a need for a greater understanding of plant disease and disease interactions in temperate humid agriculture, where excessive crop residues, continuous moist soil conditions and soil compaction are potential constraints. In this review, biotic and abiotic factors, and aspects of microbial antagonism, which can influence plant disease development in the root zone, are characterized in the context of conservation tillage in humid climates.Soil densification and reduction in macroporosity can aggravate abiotic root disease. Changes in soil aeration and permeability status can alter the quantitative and qualitative differences between soil rhizofloral populations, and survival and distribution of pathogen inoculum. Further-more, anaerobic soil conditions can result in root-pathogen interactions leading to plant disease development. A good quality soil physical environment is an important indicator for root health under conservation tillage in humid climates.Conservation tillage tends to concentrate plant debris and consequently microbial biomass in the top 5 to 15 cm of soil, and thus promotes survival of pathogens. However, disease-causing microbes make up only a proportion of the rhizofloral population. Relatively high soil microbial activity can lead to competition effects that may ameliorate pathogen activity and survival, and counteract a high pathogen inoculum pressure. Microbial antagonism in the root zone can lead to the formation of disease-suppressive soils. This phenomenon, which is important for the adoption of conservation tillage in humid climates, can be influenced by soil and crop management practices, especially crop rotation.     

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria-alleviators of abiotic stresses in soil: A review

With the continuous increase in human population,there is widespread usage of chemical fertilizers that are responsible for introducing abiotic stresses in agricultural crop lands.Abiotic stresses are major constraints for crop yield and global food security and therefore require an immediate response.The implementation of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria(PGPR)into the agricultural production system can be a profitable alternative because of its efficiency in plant growth regulation and abiotic stress management.These bacteria have the potential to promote plant growth and to aid in the management of plant diseases and abiotic stresses in the soil through production of bacterial phytohormones and associated metabolites as well as through significant root morphological changes.These changes result in improved plant-water relations and nutritional status in plants and stimulate plants’defensive mechanisms to overcome unfavorable environmental conditions.Here,we describe the significance of plant-microbe interactions,highlighting the role of PGPR,bacterial phytohormones,and bacterial metabolites in relieving abiotic environmental stress in soil.Further research is necessary to gather in-depth knowledge on PGPR-associated mechanisms and plant-microbe interactions in order to pave a way for field-scale application of beneficial rhizobacteria,with the aim of building a healthy and sustainable agricultural system.Therefore,this review aims to emphasize the role of PGPR in growth promotion and management of abiotic soil stress with the goal of developing an eco-friendly and cost-effective strategy for future agricultural sustainability.     

Functional aspects of soil animal diversity in agricultural grasslands

There has been recent interest in the characterization of soil biodiversity and its function in agricultural grasslands. Much of the interest has come from the need to develop grassland management strategies directed at manipulating the soil biota to encourage a greater reliance on ecosystem self-regulation. This review summarises information on selected groups of soil animals in grasslands, the factors influencing their abundance, diversity and community structure and their relationships to the functioning and stability of grassland ecosystems. Observations on the impacts of agricultural managements on populations and communities of soil fauna and their interactions confirm that high input, intensively managed systems tend to promote low diversity while lower input systems conserve diversity. It is also evident that high input systems favour bacterial-pathways of decomposition, dominated by labile substrates and opportunistic, bacterial-feeding fauna. In contrast, low-input systems favour fungal-pathways with a more heterogeneous habitat and resource leading to domination by more persistent fungal-feeding fauna. In view of this, we suggest that low input grassland farming systems are optimal for increasing soil biotic diversity and hence self-regulation of ecosystem function. Research is needed to test the hypothesis that soil biodiversity is positively associated with stability, and to elucidate relationships between productivity, community integrity and functioning of soil biotic communities.     

The contribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in sustainable maintenance of plant health and soil fertility

Beneficial plant-microbe interactions in the rhizosphere are primary determinants of plant health and soil fertility. Arbuscular mycorrhizas are the most important microbial symbioses for the majority of plants and, under conditions of P-limitation, influence plant community development, nutrient uptake, water relations and above-ground productivity. They also act as bioprotectants against pathogens and toxic stresses. This review discusses the mechanism by which these benefits are conferred through abiotic and biotic interactions in the rhizosphere. Attention is paid to the conservation of biodiversity in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Examples are provided in which the ecology of AMF has been taken into account and has had an impact in landscape regeneration, horticulture, alleviation of desertification and in the bioremediation of contaminated soils. It is vital that soil scientists and agriculturalists pay due attention to the management of AMF in any schemes to increase, restore or maintain soil fertility.     

Soil properties of drained and rewetted fen soils

The intensive agricultural use and consequently the drainage of fen soils have caused modifications in structure and nutrient dynamics. Pedogenetic processes result in the formation of typical soil horizons with distinctive soil properties. These are the basis for soil classification. In the present review, results are compiled. Modifications of abiotic and biotic parameters of fen soils due to drainage and rewetting are presented. Recommendations on the further use of fen soils are submitted.     

Disentangling the contributions of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to soil multifunctionality

Soil multifunctionality represents a range of soil processes driven by the interactions between soil abiotic and biotic components. As a group of ubiquitous fungi that form mutualistic symbiotic associations with a vast array of terrestrial plants, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi may play a critical role in maintaining soil multifunctionality, but the characteristics of their contributions remain to be unraveled. This mini review aims to disentangle the contributions of AM fungi to soil multifunctionality. We provide a framework of concepts about AM fungi making crucial contributions to maintaining multiple soil functions, including primary productivity, nutrient cycling, water regulation and purification, carbon and climate regulation, habitat for biodiversity, disease and pest control, and pollutant degradation and detoxification, via a variety of pathways, particularly contributing to soil and plant health. This review contends that AM fungi, as a keystone component of soil microbiome, can govern soil multifunctionality, ultimately promoting ecosystem services.     

Different structuring factors but connected dynamics shape litter and belowground soil macrofaunal food webs

Factors determining the distribution and structure of soil and litter macrofaunal assemblages remain still poorly understood, despite the overriding importance of the spatio-temporal mosaic of biotic and abiotic conditions as main drivers of soil biota and processes. Analysis of the effects of different factors on soil communities have been usually restricted to responses to litter, despite the fact that litter and mineral soil layers are connected. Therefore, whether organisms using the litter layer respond to the same biotic and abiotic factors as organisms using the mineral soil still remains poorly known. We hypothesize that the role of biotic and abiotic factors as determinants of the distribution of faunal components of soil communities differ between litter and mineral soil assemblages in arid systems and that both levels are connected by animals moving across both levels. During two years, macroinvertebrates were sampled in litter and soil at an arid region of SE Spain, and different biotic and abiotic factors were measured. We performed structural equation model analysis to uncover the factors related to macrofaunal distribution. Our results show that abiotic factors, litter production and litter and root quality, as well as relationships among different trophic groups were key factors affecting faunal densities in our system. While abundance variations in litter assemblages were principally related to temperature and moisture, belowground faunal densities responded to resource factors. Despite differences in structuring factors at both levels, faunal interactions link both assemblages across the litter-belowground interface. The results highlight three important issues to understand soil communities and food web structure. First, abiotic factors structure soil macrofaunal food webs directly and indirectly, because of the effect of litter as habitat, and not only as food. Second, overlooking the differences found between above and belowground regulation may cause problems in the interpretation of food web structure and dynamics. Third, our models also suggest that both litter and belowground assemblages are dynamically connected.