Paenibacillus polymyxa is a plant growth–promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) that has significant biocontrol properties. Wheat sheath blight caused by Rhizoctonia cerealis is a significant soil–borne disease of wheat that causes significant losses in wheat production, and the biological control against the disease has received extensive attention. P. polymyxa ZYPP18 was identified using morphological and molecular characterization. An antagonistic activity experiment verified that ZYPP18 inhibits the growth of R. cerealis on artificial growth media. A detached leaf assay verified that ZYPP18 inhibits the expansion of wheat sheath blight on the detached leaf. ZYPP18 has been found to possess plant growth–promoting properties, as well as the ability to solubilize phosphate and generate indole–3–acetic acid. Results from hydroponic experiments showed that wheat seedlings treated with ZYPP18 grew faster. Additionally, pot experiments and field experiments demonstrated that ZYPP18 effectively controls the occurrence of wheat sheath blight. ZYPP18 reduced the incidence of wheat sheath blight in wheat seedlings by 37.37% and 37.90%, respectively. The control effect of ZYPP18 on wheat sheath blight was 56.30% and 65.57%, respectively. These findings provide evidence that P. polymyxa ZYPP18 is an effective biological factor that can control disease and promote plant growth.

The effects of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) on plant productivity are high variable under field conditions. Soil phosphorus (P) levels are proposed to impact PSB performance. Furthermore, the effect of exogenous PSB on rhizosphere microbial community and their functions are largely unexplored. Our study examined how different P background and fertilization affected the performance of PSB Pseudomonas asiatica JP233. We further conducted metagenomic sequencing to assess its impact on rhizosphere microbiota and functions, with a focus on genes related to soil P cycling. We found that JP233 could enhance P solubilization and tomato growth to different extent in both high and low P soils, irrespective of P fertilization. It was particularly effective in high P soil without extra fertilization. JP233 altered the rhizosphere microbial community, boosting taxa known for plant growth promotion. It also changed soil gene profiling, enriching pathways related to secondary metabolite biosynthesis, amino acids, carbon metabolism, and other key processes. Particularly, JP233 increased the abundance of most P cycle genes and strengthened their interconnections. Populations of certain predatory bacteria increased after JP233 inoculation. Our findings provide valuable insights into PSB’s mechanisms for P solubilization and plant growth promotion, as well as potential adverse impacts of resident microbes on bioinoculants.

Background/Objectives: Many fungi related to Talaromyces verruculosus can degrade a wide range of pollutants and are widely distributed globally. T. verruculosus SJ9 was enriched from fresh strawberry inter-root soil to yield fungi capable of degrading tetracycline, enrofloxacin, and tylosin. Methods: T. verruculosus SJ9 genome was sequenced, assembled, and annotated in this study utilizing bioinformatics software, PacBio, and the Illumina NovaSeq PE150 technology. Results: The genome size is 40.6 Mb, the N50 scaffold size is 4,534,389 bp, and the predicted number of coding genes is 8171. The T. verruculosus TS63-9 genome has the highest resemblance to the T. verruculosus SJ9 genome, according to a comparative genomic analysis of seven species. In addition, we annotated many genes encoding antibiotic-degrading enzymes in T. verruculosus SJ9 through genomic databases, which also provided strong evidence for its ability to degrade antibiotics. Conclusions: Through the correlation analysis of the whole-genome data of T. verruculosus SJ9, we identified a number of genes capable of encoding antibiotic-degrading enzymes in its gene function annotation database. These antibiotic-related enzymes provide some evidence that T. verruculosus SJ9 can degrade fluoroquinolone antibiotics, tetracycline antibiotics, and macrolide antibiotics. In summary, the complete genome sequence of T. verruculosus SJ9 has now been published, and this resource constitutes a significant dataset that will inform forthcoming transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolic investigations of this fungal species. In addition, genomic studies of other filamentous fungi can utilize it as a reference. Thanks to the discoveries made in this study, the future application of this fungus in industrial production will be more rapid.