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Updated: Nov 4, 2025

Author Spotlight: Exploring Plant-Microbe Interactions Through Root Exudates in a Novel Growth System
Published on: November 17, 2023
[Responses of root exudates to intercropping of Chinese milk vetch with rape.]
Ya-Jun Wang1, Teng-Qi Wang1, Zhi-Jie Hou1
1Research Center on Ecological Sciences, Jiangxi Agricultural University/Key Laboratory of Crop Physio-logy, Ecology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Education, Nanchang 330045, China.
Abstract:
Root exudates are important carriers for material exchange and information transfer between plant and soil, and important regulators of crop-soil-microorganism interaction in intercropping systems. We examined the interaction between crops in intercropping system by setting three treatments, monoculture Chinese milk vetch, monoculture rape and Chinese milk vetch intercropped with rape. The responses of root exudates were emphatically analyzed. The results showed that 391 root exudates were detected, with 93 of which being identified and divided into nine types of metabo-lites. Among them, organooxygen compounds were the most abundant, mainly in the form of ribitol. Under different planting patterns, root exudates of Chinese milk vetch and rape were significantly different. The characteristics of root exudates in intercropping were similar to monoculture rape, but significantly different from monoculture Chinese milk vetch. Among the root exudates in different planting modes, only 9-fluorenone 1 was negatively correlated with others. The differential root exudates were mainly benzenoids, lipids and lipid-like molecules, organic acids and derivatives, and organooxygen compounds. The benzenoids, lipids and lipid-like molecules were important types that characterized the changes of root exudates of Chinese milk vetch and rape. Chinese milk vetch intercropping with rape changed the characteristics of root exudates, which were closely related to benzenoids, lipids, and lipid-like molecules.
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