The agricultural sector is currently encountering significant challenges due to the effects of climate change, leading to negative consequences for crop productivity and global food security. In this context, traditional agricultural practices have been inadequate in addressing the fast-evolving challenges while maintaining environmental sustainability. A possible alternative to traditional agricultural management is represented by using beneficial micro-organisms that, once applied as bioinoculants, may enhance crop resilience and adaptability, thereby mitigating the adverse effects of environmental stressors and boosting productivity. Tomato is one of the most important crops worldwide, playing a central role in the human diet. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a nitrogen-fixing bacterial-based biostimulant (Azospirillum sp., Azotobacter sp., and Rhizobium sp.) in combination or not with a commercial inoculum Micomix (Rhizoglomus irregulare, Funnelliformis mosseae, Funnelliformis caledonium, Bacillus licheniformis, and Bacillus mucilaginosus) (MYC) on the native rhizosphere communities and tomato production. Bacterial populations in the different samples were characterized using an environmental metabarcoding approach. The bioinocula effect on the native rhizosphere microbiota resulted in significant variation both in alpha and beta diversity and in a specific signature associated with the presence of biostimulants.

Tomatoes are one of the most important crops worldwide and also play a central role in the human diet. Microbial consortia are microorganism associations, often employed as bioinoculants, that can interact with the native rhizosphere microbiota. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a bacterial-based biostimulant (Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens) (PSBA) in combination, or not, with a commercial inoculum Micomix (Rhizoglomus irregulare, Funnelliformis mosseae, Funnelliformis caledonium, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus mucilaginosus) (MYC) on the native rhizosphere communities and on tomato production. The trial was carried out using Solanum lycopersicum in an open field as follows: control full NPK (CFD), control reduced NPK (CRD), MYC, PSBA, PSBA + MYC. Bacterial population in the different samples were characterized using a next generation sequencing approach. The bioinocula effect on the native rhizosphere microbiota resulted in significant variation both in alpha and beta diversity and in a specific signature associated with the presence of biostimulants, especially in the presence of co-inoculation (PSBA + MYC). In particular, the high initial biodiversity shifts in the community composition occurred and consisted in the increase in the abundance of genera correlated to the soil acidification and in an enhanced density of nitrogen-fixing microbes. The results also highlighted the well-known rhizosphere effect.

Implementing efforts to understand biogeographic distribution patterns and taxonomic limits within animal groups is crucial for addressing several challenges of modern zoology. Although avian phylogeography has been extensively investigated within the Western Palearctic, several families, such as shrikes, still display unresolved or neglected biogeographic patterns both between and within species, thus requiring further investigations. The Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator) is a long-distance migratory species that exhibits three morphologically well-recognizable subspecies, whose boundaries have never been phylogenetically investigated. Here, we aimed to define the phylogeographic structure of Lanius senator throughout its breeding range and assess the genetic coherence with respect to the phenotypically described subspecies. We assembled a collection of 34 samples mainly from breeding populations of each subspecies and analysed them using four mtDNA and two nuDNA markers. We did not find clear phylogenetic structure in nuclear Ornithine Decarboxylase (ODC) and Myoglobin intron 2 (MYO), but all the four mtDNA loci (i.e., ND2, COI, cytb and CR) highlighted two main haplogroups: one including both the nominate subspecies L. s. senator and L. s. badius and a second one consisting of L. s. niloticus (the easternmost part of its range). Surprisingly, individuals phenotypically assigned to L. s. niloticus from Israel were genetically assigned to the senator/badius haplogroup. Moreover, genetic distances between haplogroups showed intermediate values between inter-intraspecies diversity usually reported for Passerines. We estimated a divergence time at ca. 890 kya (554–1.259 kya HPD). Our findings showed a mismatch in subspecies assignment using morphology and genetic information and a marked differentiation between the eastern L. s. niloticus and all other L. senator populations sampled.

In the Western Palaearctic, ice ages played an important role in shaping the genetic diversity of birds, yet the phylogeography of species that persisted in the Mediterranean basin is understudied. Thus, we investigated the genetic diversity, phylogeography and demographic history of the Sardinian Warbler ( Curruca melanocephala ), a widespread Mediterranean songbird from the Canary Islands, North Africa, across southern Europe, to Turkey and the Middle East. Our study integrated mitochondrial (cytochrome C oxidase subunit I[(COI], cytochrome b [cytb]) and nuclear transforming growth factor‐beta 2 (TGFB2) markers, single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) derived from a genotyping‐by‐sequencing (GBS) approach and species distribution models (SDMs). Both single markers and genomic SNPs identified four major clades. Several widespread haplotypes, extending from Iberia to Turkey and North Africa, indicate a panmictic pattern across the range of C. m. melanocephala . Among the remaining groups, one corresponds to C. m. momus , another includes individuals ascribable to subspecies valverdei and leucogastra , while the last consists of a highly divergent leucogastra haplotype. The ambiguity in subspecies range is further supported by nuclear markers and SNPs, which highlighted great levels of gene flow among populations. Phylogenetic reconstruction showed that the divergence of the clades within C. melanocephala occurred during the Pleistocene in the Middle East region. Demographic analyses suggest that the species maintained relatively stable effective population sizes ( N _e ) through time, findings supported by SDMs projections, which identify suitable habitats across the Mediterranean during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), implying broad persistence rather than contraction to isolated refugia. This study offers new insights into the historical processes that have shaped the apparent panmixia observed today in C. melanocephala and reveals that bird species originating in the Mediterranean may have partially escaped the constraints traditionally associated with glacial refugia along the region’s coasts. The findings also emphasise the value of combining molecular and ecological approaches to disentangle the complex evolutionary dynamics of avian biodiversity hotspots.

Introduction: Sustainable practices are increasingly recognised for benefiting soil biodiversity, health, and overall grain quality. This study examined a unique rice agroecosystem adopting fully organic practices and agroforestry through a seasonal characterisation of soil bacterial microbiota and physicochemical parameters. Furthermore, the first nutritional characterisation of an heirloom rice variety was provided, explicitly detailing how the soil biodiversity and parameters influence the grain quality. Materials and Methods: Following the rice growth cycle, soil bacterial microbiota were studied through a metabarcoding approach on environmental DNA. Soil physicochemical properties were determined with standardised protocols and an FT‐IR analysis on the labile and recalcitrant carbon. Besides, the grain nutritional profile was obtained using standardised kits and protocols, while grain protein quantification was performed by combining SDS‐PAGE assay and MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry. Results: Microbiota profiling highlighted the cover crops field's role in hosting functionally important bacteria, in support of the subsequent rice cultivation. Taxonomical and functional diversity significantly increased across the rice growing season, peaking at flowering, a delicate physiological phase directly impacting crop yields. Soil ROC, OM and flooding conditions primarily drove the bacteria community dissimilarity inter‐stages ( R ² = 0.637). The sustainable practices employed for rice cultivation (i.e., green mulching, zero external inputs) led to a stabilisation of TOC and OM, increased available labile C, and to a carbon sequestration at the end of the growing season (7%), besides soil N and P conservation. Correlation analysis showed that CEC, C/N and bacterial diversity mainly influenced the carbohydrate fraction of the rice grain, with an indirect effect on the protein content. Conclusion: Through a multidisciplinary approach, this study highlights that sustainable rice cultivation provides vital ecosystem services by positively affecting bacterial biodiversity, nutrient cycling, and grain quality. These sustainable practices represent an evidence‐based strategy to achieve global Sustainable Development Goals and to redesign rice agriculture.