Oilseed rape is sensitive to soil phosphorus deficiencies. In contrast, white lupin is widely used as a model plant because it has efficient phosphorus utilization. Therefore, soil fertility and microbial composition in the rhizospheres of oilseed rapes and root exudate metabolites were compared under monocropping and intercropping systems. The main purpose was to explore whether the phosphorus absorption of rapeseed can be promoted by intercropping with white lupine. In comparison with oilseed rape monoculture (RR), the results showed that the contents of soil-available phosphorus, microbial biomass and phosphorus in the rhizospheres of oilseed rapes in the intercropping system (RL) were all higher than those of RR. Meanwhile, in comparison with RR, not only phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria, such as Streptomyces, Actinomadura and Bacillus, but also phosphorus-solubilizing fungi, such as Chaetomium, Aspergillus, Penicillium, were enriched in the rhizospheres of the oilseed rape under the RL system. Moreover, more abundant soil bacterial functions, organic acids and metabolites were also detected in root exudates of the oilseed rapes under the RL system. All of the above results suggest that soil phosphorus availability in the rhizospheres of oilseed rape could be improved by intercropping with white lupin. Additionally, soil phosphorus-solubilizing microorganisms, that are enriched in the rhizospheres of oilseed rapes under RL systems, have an important function in the improvement of phosphorus absorption of rapeseed by intercropping with white lupin.

To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the resistance to smut of different sugarcane cultivars, endophytic bacterial and fungal compositions, functions and metabolites in the stems of the sugarcane cultivars were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing techniques and nontargeted metabolomics. The results showed that the levels of ethylene, salicylic acid and jasmonic acid in sugarcane varieties that were not sensitive to smut were all higher than those in sensitive sugarcane varieties. Moreover, endophytic fungi, such as Ramichloridium, Alternaria, Sarocladium, Epicoccum, and Exophiala species, could be considered antagonistic to sugarcane smut. Additionally, the highly active arginine and proline metabolism, pentose phosphate pathway, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and tyrosine metabolism in sugarcane varieties that were not sensitive to smut indicated that these pathways contribute to resistance to smut. All of the above results suggested that the relatively highly abundant antagonistic microbes and highly active metabolic functions of endophytes in non-smut-sensitive sugarcane cultivars were important for their relatively high resistance to smut.

Background: To explore and utilize abundant soil microbes and their beneficial functions, the bacterial and fungal compositions in rhizospheres between red- and yellow-fruited tomato varieties were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing technique. Result: Our results indicated that different soil microbes in rhizospheres of tomatoes were exactly recruited by different color fruit tomatoes. For the reasons as not only soil bacterial community, but also soil fungal compositions were all different between red and yellow fruit tomatoes. For example, Nocardioides, norank_f_norank_o_Vicinamibacterales, norank_f_norank_o_norank_c_KD4-96, norank_f_Birii41, norank_f_norank_o_S085 and Bradyrhizobium were the specific dominant soil bacterial genera, and Lecythophora, Derxomyces and unclassified_f_Pyronemataceae were the dominant soil fungal genera in the rhizospheres of red tomato varieties. By contrast, unclassified_f__Micromonsporaceae, Acidipila, Roseisolibacter, Gaiella and norank_f_Xanthobacteraceae were the unique dominant soil bacterial genera in the rhizospheres of yellow tomato varieties. And unclassified_o__Onygenales, Trichocladium, unclassified_c__Sordariomycetes, Pseudogymnoascus, Acremonium, Oidiodendron, Phialemonium, Penicillium, Phialosimplex were the unique dominant soil fungal genera in rhizospheres of yellow tomato varieties. Moreover, a higher abundance of specific soil bacterial and fungal genera in the rhizosphere was found in rhizospheres of the yellow than those of the red tomato varieties. Conclusion: Soil bacterial and fungal compositions in rhizospheres between red- and yellow-fruited tomato varieties were found significantly different which growing in the same environment under the identical managements. It suggested that different soil microbes in rhizospheres exactly were recruited by different phenotypes tomato varieties related to fruit color formation.

The study of the differential structures and functions of rhizospheric and endophytic bacterial communities between netted melon and oriental melon treatments is investigated. Our findings make a significant contribution to the literature because they are the first step in coupling the study of rhizospheric and endophytic microbial community structure to reticulation formation in netted melon.

Recently, the effects of weed control on crop yield, quality and soil fertility have been increasingly investigated. However, soil microorganism diversity under weed control, especially for aromatic plants, is little studied. Mechanical weeding effects on soil fertility and microbial diversity in star anise plantations remain unknown, limiting improvements in crop quality and yield through weed control. Therefore, mechanical weeding (MW) and no weeding (NW) zones were randomly designed in the same star anise plantation to study the mechanical weeding impacts on soil biological properties and microbial diversity. The phosphatase activity of MW soil was significantly higher than that of NW soil; however, aminopeptidase activity was significantly lower than that under NW. There was no significant difference in β-glucosidase activity between MW and NW. Moreover, soil microbial biomass C and N in MW soil were significantly higher than those of NW, but soil microbial biomass P was significantly lower than that of NW. Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Planctomycetes, WPS-2, Firmicutes and Verrucomicrobia were the predominant bacterial phyla in MW and NW soils. Specifically, Bacteroidetes was enriched in MW soil, being the unique dominant bacteria. Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, unclassified_k_Fungi, Rozellomycota and Mortierellomycota were the predominant fungi in MW and NW soils. The numbers of dominant bacterial genera (> 1%) were 26 and 23 for NW and MW soils, respectively. Among them, norank_f__norank_o__norank_c__Subgroup_6, 1921–2 and norank_f__norank_o__B12-WMSP1 went undetected in MW soil. Moreover, the numbers of dominant fungi in soils of star anise plantations were 11 and 9 for NW and MW, respectively. Among them, only unclassified_f__Clavicipitaceae and Mortierella went undetected in MW soils. Thus, soil microbial community structures are not significantly altered by mechanical weeding. The above results suggest that soil fertility can be improved and soil heath can be maintained by mechanical weeding in star anise plantations. Moreover, soil-borne diseases maybe easily occurred under NW treatment in star anise plantation.

Root metabolites and soil microbial community structure in the rhizosphere play critical roles in crop growth. Here, we assessed the efficiency of conventional and tissue culture propagation methods in modulating the soil health and microbiota in the rhizosphere of sugarcane ( Saccharum officinarum L.) plants. The seeding canes were obtained using newly planted and two‐year ratooned canes propagated by conventional (CSN and CSR) or tissue culture (TCN and TCR) methods. Changes in soil fertility, root metabolites and soil microbial community structure in the rhizosphere of sugarcane plants obtained using these canes were assessed. The activities of soil β ‐glucosidase and aminopeptidase, soil microbial biomass nitrogen, and abundances of soil beneficial microbes, both at phyla and genera levels, were significantly higher in the rhizosphere of sugarcane plants in TCN and TCR treatments than those in that of plants in CSN and CSR treatments. Furthermore, flavonoid and flavonol biosynthesis and alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism were significantly upregulated in the roots of TCR and TCN plants compared with those in the roots of CSN and CSR plants. These results suggest that the tissue culture propagation method is a sustainable method for sugarcane cultivation to improve soil fertility and health in sugarcane rhizosphere.