Soil Microbiome Predator Diversity Outperforms Nitrogen Addition in Boosting Plant Biomass via Bacterial Community...

Area of Science:

• Soil ecology
• Plant science
• Microbiology

Background:

• Nitrogen (N) is essential for plant growth but its overuse negatively impacts biodiversity.
• Increasing soil biodiversity is a potential strategy to reduce nitrogen inputs, yet experimental validation is limited.
• Microbiome predators (protists and nematodes) influence soil microbial communities and nitrogen cycling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of microbiome predator diversity and nitrogen addition on Cannabis sativa growth.
• To understand how these factors interact to influence plant biomass, nutrient content, and soil microbial communities.

Main Methods:

• Experimental manipulation of microbiome predator diversity and nitrogen levels in Cannabis sativa cultivation.
• Analysis of plant biomass, nutrient content, and soil bacterial community composition and function.
• Utilized protists and nematodes as microbiome predators to assess their impact on plant performance.

Main Results:

• Microbiome predator addition significantly increased plant biomass by up to 53%, with higher diversity yielding up to 60% increase.
• Increased biomass was linked to shifts in bacterial communities and enhanced carbon and nitrogen cycling functions.
• Nitrogen addition primarily influenced plant and soil nutrient content, not biomass as significantly as predators.

Conclusions:

• Microbiome predators enhance plant biomass in a manner dependent on their diversity and nitrogen availability.
• Soil biodiversity, specifically through microbiome predators, plays a critical role in improving plant performance.
• Harnessing microbiome predators offers a promising avenue for sustainable agriculture, potentially reducing reliance on nitrogen fertilizers.