Functional assembly of root-associated microbial consortia improves nutrient efficiency and yield in soybean

Area of Science:

• Plant-microbe interactions
• Agricultural microbiology
• Synthetic biology

Background:

• Root-associated microbes are vital for plant growth and nutrient acquisition.
• Limited knowledge exists on optimizing beneficial microbial communities and their host interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct and evaluate synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) for enhancing plant growth and nutrient acquisition.
• To investigate the mechanisms by which SynComs influence host plants.

Main Methods:

• Functional screening of 1,893 root-associated microbial strains from soybean.
• Construction of three SynComs based on screening results.
• Evaluation of SynComs under nutrient-deficient and sufficient conditions, including field trials.
• RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to analyze host transcriptional responses.

Main Results:

• SynComs significantly promoted soybean growth and nutrient acquisition under varying nutrient conditions.
• Field trials demonstrated stable increases in plant growth, N/P acquisition, and soybean yield (up to 36.1%).
• SynCom application modulated host transcriptional networks, particularly auxin response pathways.

Conclusions:

• Functional screening is an effective strategy for constructing beneficial SynComs.
• Developed SynComs enhance nutrient acquisition and crop yield through beneficial root microbes.
• This approach offers a promising avenue for sustainable agriculture and improved crop productivity.