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Plant microbiome responses to bioinoculants and volatiles

Plant microbiome responses to bioinoculants and volatiles
Plant microbiome responses to bioinoculants and volatiles

Background: there is an increase in the adoption of biological solutions for plant production as a means of attaining sustainable agriculture. A detailed understanding of the influence of specific bioinoculants and their volatile metabolites on native soil and plant microbiomes can improve future microbiome management practices.

Results: here, we examined the effect of bacterial inoculants and volatile compounds as individual and combined treatments on apple plant and soil microbiome. The study used specially designed microcosms that facilitated the separation of the different plant compartments. A compartment- and soil-specific effect of treatments on the native soil and plant microbiome was observed. The live bacterial inoculants as compared to their volatiles had a stronger effect on the plant and soil microbiome, particularly the root microbial community. The combined effect of bacterial inoculants was higher compared to volatiles (R2 = 5% vs. 3%). Treatment-specific effects were observed, like the influence of 2-butanone on the phyllosphere bacterial diversity, and an increase in fungal richness in Serratia-treated soils.

Conclusions: among the examined treatments, inoculation with bacteria compared to volatile metabolites induced more significant shifts within the plant and soil microbiome. This observation has implications regarding the merits of applying living microorganisms. The findings highlight the potential of microbiome management approaches for enhancing microbiota functions.

Amplicon sequencing, Bioinoculants, Microcosm experiments, Plant microbiome, Sustainable agriculture, Volatile organic compounds
2524-6372
Olimi, Expedito
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Duller, Martina
49480a99-7499-4ddd-9cbf-cef9e9c0e891
Stangl, Martina
195eedcf-fce9-4c0d-88fd-7f78d4bf1d91
Bickel, Samuel
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Battisti, Angelika
7011e28c-630b-4ff3-825a-9bea8a003b90
Kusstatscher, Peter
cd227bb6-6271-4be3-84d3-ffe70bcec0e0
Wicaksono, Wisnu Adi
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Abdelfattah, Ahmed
5bb85028-c320-421a-855c-97d56b8bcf53
Cernava, Tomislav
a13d65aa-2529-479a-ba90-69ebbc4ba07f
Berg, Gabriele
5bc6c28c-525d-4f45-b167-5af82c888c6d
Olimi, Expedito
8d52c4f0-bb46-40a2-9f81-75c8acf6d388
Duller, Martina
49480a99-7499-4ddd-9cbf-cef9e9c0e891
Stangl, Martina
195eedcf-fce9-4c0d-88fd-7f78d4bf1d91
Bickel, Samuel
fa8c75ee-aecb-4502-80e7-033d86330a59
Battisti, Angelika
7011e28c-630b-4ff3-825a-9bea8a003b90
Kusstatscher, Peter
cd227bb6-6271-4be3-84d3-ffe70bcec0e0
Wicaksono, Wisnu Adi
61c631cb-96eb-420f-b6a2-23ef92918892
Abdelfattah, Ahmed
5bb85028-c320-421a-855c-97d56b8bcf53
Cernava, Tomislav
a13d65aa-2529-479a-ba90-69ebbc4ba07f
Berg, Gabriele
5bc6c28c-525d-4f45-b167-5af82c888c6d

Olimi, Expedito, Duller, Martina, Stangl, Martina, Bickel, Samuel, Battisti, Angelika, Kusstatscher, Peter, Wicaksono, Wisnu Adi, Abdelfattah, Ahmed, Cernava, Tomislav and Berg, Gabriele (2025) Plant microbiome responses to bioinoculants and volatiles. Environmental Microbiome, 20 (1), [55]. (doi:10.1186/s40793-025-00715-4).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Background: there is an increase in the adoption of biological solutions for plant production as a means of attaining sustainable agriculture. A detailed understanding of the influence of specific bioinoculants and their volatile metabolites on native soil and plant microbiomes can improve future microbiome management practices.

Results: here, we examined the effect of bacterial inoculants and volatile compounds as individual and combined treatments on apple plant and soil microbiome. The study used specially designed microcosms that facilitated the separation of the different plant compartments. A compartment- and soil-specific effect of treatments on the native soil and plant microbiome was observed. The live bacterial inoculants as compared to their volatiles had a stronger effect on the plant and soil microbiome, particularly the root microbial community. The combined effect of bacterial inoculants was higher compared to volatiles (R2 = 5% vs. 3%). Treatment-specific effects were observed, like the influence of 2-butanone on the phyllosphere bacterial diversity, and an increase in fungal richness in Serratia-treated soils.

Conclusions: among the examined treatments, inoculation with bacteria compared to volatile metabolites induced more significant shifts within the plant and soil microbiome. This observation has implications regarding the merits of applying living microorganisms. The findings highlight the potential of microbiome management approaches for enhancing microbiota functions.

Text
s40793-025-00715-4 - Version of Record
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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 24 April 2025
Published date: 21 May 2025
Additional Information: ).
Keywords: Amplicon sequencing, Bioinoculants, Microcosm experiments, Plant microbiome, Sustainable agriculture, Volatile organic compounds

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 502949
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/502949
ISSN: 2524-6372
PURE UUID: 01715b6e-fc06-4491-b4d3-8aee38919d73
ORCID for Tomislav Cernava: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-7772-4080

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 14 Jul 2025 16:48
Last modified: 22 Aug 2025 02:38

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Contributors

Author: Expedito Olimi
Author: Martina Duller
Author: Martina Stangl
Author: Samuel Bickel
Author: Angelika Battisti
Author: Peter Kusstatscher
Author: Wisnu Adi Wicaksono
Author: Ahmed Abdelfattah
Author: Tomislav Cernava ORCID iD
Author: Gabriele Berg

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