Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Responses to Salt Stress

Responses to Salt Stress

Salt stress—which can be triggered by high salt concentrations in a plant’s environment—can significantly affect plant growth and crop production by influencing photosynthesis and the absorption of water and nutrients.

The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition

The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition

Plants have the impressive ability to create their own food through photosynthesis. However, plants often require assistance from organisms in the soil to acquire the nutrients they need to function correctly. Both bacteria and fungi have evolved symbiotic relationships with plants that help the species to thrive in a wide variety of environments.

The Soil Ecosystem

The Soil Ecosystem

Plants obtain inorganic minerals and water from the soil, which acts as a natural medium for land plants. The composition and quality of soil depend not only on the chemical constituents but also on the presence of living organisms. In general, soils contain three major components:

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

<i>Fusarium xyrophilum</i> facilitates its dispersal by exploiting sensory biases of generalist insects through pseudoflowers.

Mycologia·2026

Same author

The adaptation chip: repurposing the principles of the ichip for guiding in situ experimental evolution.

ISME communications·2026

Same author

Rice farming for climate change adaptation in the Northeastern United States.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025

Same author

Low soil phosphorus and high symbiotic fungal richness inhibits plant aboveground biomass in fragmented forests in China.

Communications biology·2025

Same author

Do human individuals differ in their potential for lipophilic contaminant biomagnification?

Environmental science. Processes & impacts·2025

Same author

Evolving a plant-beneficial bacterium in soil vs. nutrient-rich liquid culture has contrasting effects on in-soil fitness.

Applied and environmental microbiology·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 17, 2025

Isolation and Analysis of Microbial Communities in Soil, Rhizosphere, and Roots in Perennial Grass Experiments

Isolation and Analysis of Microbial Communities in Soil, Rhizosphere, and Roots in Perennial Grass Experiments

Published on: July 24, 2018

Soil salinization accelerates microbiome stabilization in iterative selections for plant performance.

William L King¹, Laura M Kaminsky^1,2, Maria Gannett²

¹Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.

The New Phytologist

|October 6, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Microbiome selection inconsistently affected plant growth in saline soils. Microbial communities changed predictably, but plant benefits varied, highlighting the need for controls in microbiome research.

Keywords:

artificial selection microbiome breeding phenotype selection rhizosphere root microbiome soil salinity

More Related Videos

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Published on: March 13, 2014

Soil Lysimeter Excavation for Coupled Hydrological, Geochemical, and Microbiological Investigations

Soil Lysimeter Excavation for Coupled Hydrological, Geochemical, and Microbiological Investigations

Published on: September 11, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 17, 2025

Isolation and Analysis of Microbial Communities in Soil, Rhizosphere, and Roots in Perennial Grass Experiments

Isolation and Analysis of Microbial Communities in Soil, Rhizosphere, and Roots in Perennial Grass Experiments

Published on: July 24, 2018

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Published on: March 13, 2014

Soil Lysimeter Excavation for Coupled Hydrological, Geochemical, and Microbiological Investigations

Soil Lysimeter Excavation for Coupled Hydrological, Geochemical, and Microbiological Investigations

Published on: September 11, 2016

Area of Science:

Agricultural Science
Microbiology
Environmental Science

Background:

Climate change-induced soil salinization elevates plant stress and reduces crop yields.
Soil microbes may mitigate salt stress via diverse mechanisms, potentially enhancing plant growth.
Previous research indicates microbiome selection can influence plant traits, but results are often variable.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if microbiome selection offers more consistent plant benefits in saline soils.
To analyze bacterial and fungal community dynamics under selection across multiple plant generations.
To assess the interplay between soil salinity, microbiome selection, and plant phenotype.

Main Methods:

Brassica rapa root microbiomes were serially transferred across six generations in both saline and non-saline soils.
Bacterial (16S rRNA) and fungal (ITS) compositions were detailed using sequencing.
An 'add-back' control, reintroducing the original soil microbiome, served as a within-generation reference.

Main Results:

Microbiome selection showed inconsistent impacts on plant biomass across generations.
Microbial community composition consistently diverged from the add-back control.
Soil salinity altered microbial composition but did not enhance the predictability of microbiome effects on plant phenotype.

Conclusions:

A disconnect exists between microbiome and plant phenotype trajectories during selection experiments.
Salinity accelerated microbiome selection but did not improve its predictability for plant outcomes.
Standardized controls are crucial for interpreting microbiome selection results and their impact on plant health.