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Updated: Jan 12, 2026

Semi-High Throughput Screening for Potential Drought-tolerance in Lettuce Lactuca sativa Germplasm Collections
Published on: April 17, 2015
Precipitation legacy effects on soil microbiota facilitate adaptive drought responses in plants
Nichole A Ginnan1,2,3, Valéria Custódio4, David Gopaulchan4
1Kansas Biological Survey and Center for Ecological Research, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA.
Abstract:
Drought alters the soil microbiota by selecting for functional traits that preserve fitness in dry conditions. Legacy effects or ecological memory refers to how past stress exposure influences microbiota responses to future environmental challenges. How precipitation legacy effects impact soil microorganisms and plants is unclear, especially in the context of subsequent drought. Here we characterized the metagenomes of six prairie soils spanning a precipitation gradient in Kansas, United States. A microbial precipitation legacy, which persisted over a 5-month-long experimental drought, mitigated the negative physiological effects of acute drought for a native wild grass species, but not for the domesticated crop species maize. RNA sequencing of roots revealed that soil microbiota with a low precipitation legacy altered expression of plant genes that mediate transpiration and intrinsic water-use efficiency during drought. Our results show how historical exposure to water stress alters soil microbiota, with consequences for future drought responses of some plant species.
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