A multi-organism interaction system under soil acidification drives root rot aggravation in Torreya

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Plant Pathology
• Microbial Ecology

Background:

• Soil acidification from human activities is a growing threat to plant health.
• The specific mechanisms by which soil acidification exacerbates plant root diseases are not fully understood.
• Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for managing soil-borne diseases and restoring ecosystems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of cross-kingdom interactions in aggravating root rot under soil acidification.
• To identify the key microbial players and their interactions in acidified soil environments.
• To elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms linking soil acidification to increased root rot severity.

Main Methods:

• Integrated multi-omics analyses of rhizosphere biota and soil physicochemical properties.
• Utilized Torreya grandis, a key gymnosperm, as a model organism.
• Conducted synthetic community experiments to validate findings.

Main Results:

• Soil acidification, not solely pathogen abundance, significantly contributes to root rot aggravation.
• Acidification induced structural imbalances in rhizosphere microbial communities.
• Identified a cross-kingdom interaction network involving Fusarium, Lectera, Acidothermus, and Hemipyxis.

Conclusions:

• Acidification-conditioned cross-kingdom interactions are a major driver of root rot severity.
• Disruption of plant-soil defense functions by these microbial networks exacerbates disease.
• Findings offer novel insights for managing soil-borne diseases and restoring degraded agroforestry systems.