Bio‐priming seeds with cyanobacteria: effects on native plant growth and soil properties

Chua, Melissa; Erickson, Todd E.; Merritt, David J.; Chilton, Angela; Ooi, Mark K. J.; Muñoz‐Rojas, Miriam

doi:10.1111/rec.13040

Cited by 55 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobia; Cain et al 2008;Reece et al 2012;Evert and Eichhorn 2013). Indeed, recent work on dryland ecosystem restoration has found that in some species, including Triodia, seedling growth and establishment is enhanced with the addition of specific strains of cyanobacteria applied to the seed coats (Muñoz-Rojas et al 2018;Chua et al 2020). Consistent with this idea, we saw significantly higher emergence of T. basedowii seeds in live than sterile soil from outside the rings (Fig.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

The contribution of pathogenic soil microbes to ring formation in an iconic Australian arid grass,

Ross

Moles

2021

Aust. J. Bot.

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Ring-forming species of spinifex grasses (Triodia spp.) are a dominant feature across much of Australia's arid and semi-arid zone. Researchers have long been curious about the mechanisms underpinning their striking growth form. However, none of the factors investigated to date provide a convincing explanation for ring formation. Here, we asked whether an accumulation of pathogenic soil microbes might impede seedling emergence and subsequent growth in the centre of Triodia basedowii rings. We collected soil from inside and outside naturally occurring spinifex rings and compared plants grown in soil with live microbes to plants grown in sterilised soil. Consistent with our hypothesis, we found that emergence of T. basedowii seedlings was lower in live soil from inside the rings than in live soil from outside the rings. Further, seedling emergence in soil from inside the rings increased significantly in response to soil sterilisation. We found no significant difference in growth between sterile and live soils. However, this might be due to a lack of power caused by high rates of seedling mortality in all treatments. Overall, our study provides evidence for the role of soil pathogens in shaping this iconic Australian grass.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

The contribution of pathogenic soil microbes to ring formation in an iconic Australian arid grass,

Ross

Moles

2021

Aust. J. Bot.

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“…and Acacia spp. (Chua et al, 2019). As shown here, modified extruded seed pellets appear to be a viable method to translocate beneficial soil microbial communities from the previously removed topsoil, such as biocrust cyanobacteria, even after a short period (109 days) following inoculation.…”

Section: Implications For Large-scale Mine Rehabilitationmentioning

confidence: 58%

Field-Deployed Extruded Seed Pellets Show Promise for Perennial Grass Establishment in Arid Zone Mine Rehabilitation

et al. 2020

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Current methods of mine rehabilitation in the arid zone have a high failure rate at seedling emergence largely due to limited availability of topsoil and low water-holding capacity of alternative growth substrates such as mining overburden and tailings. Further, seedlings have consistently failed to emerge from seeds sown on the soil surface using traditional broadcasting methods. Seed pellets, formed by extruding soil mixtures and seeds into pellets, can potentially increase soil water uptake through enhanced soil-seed contact and thereby improve seedling emergence. We tested an extruded seed pelleting method in a three-factor field experiment (i.e., different pellet-soil mixtures, organic amendments, and simulated rainfall regimes) in north-western Australia. Given the observed lack of seedling emergence from broadcast seeds, the aims of the experiment were to assess: (i) the use of pellets to promote native seedling emergence and establishment and; (ii) the soil physico-chemical and microbiological changes that occur with this method of rehabilitation. The effects of pellet-soil mixtures, organic amendment, and rainfall regime on seedling emergence and survival of three native plant species suggest trade-offs among responses. Pellets made with a 1:1 blend of topsoil and a loamy-sand waste material had the highest seedling emergence, while 100% topsoil pellets had lower emergence probably because of hardsetting. Triodia pungens (a native grass) survived to the end of the experiment while Indigofera monophylla and Acacia inaequilatera (native shrubs) emerged but did not survive. Adding an organic amendment in the extruded pellet inhibited Triodia seedling emergence but increased soil microbial activity. Overall, extruded pellets made from a 1:1 blend showed promise for the establishment of Triodia seeds and beneficially, incorporates mine waste overburden and lesser amounts of topsoil. Further research is needed to improve pelleting production and to test the applicability of the method at scale, for different species and other ecosystem types.

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“…Muñoz-Rojas et al [58] highlighted the potential of cyanobacteria to increase soil functions in mine-site restoration by promoting soil carbon sequestration. Similarly, Chua et al [71] demonstrated that bio-priming native plant seeds with indigenous cyanobacteria promote seedling growth in soils commonly used in mine restoration. Moreover, these organisms can retain pollutants with high efficiency due to diverse proteins and polysaccharide receptors on their surface, acting as prominent agents in the remediation of heavy metal and hydrocarbon polluted soils [72,73].…”

Section: Cyanobacteria Applications In Ecosystem Restorationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Perhaps another key factor is the higher economic returns in the agricultural sector, and therefore larger investments in research development compared to that developed in natural areas. The direct delivery of cyanobacteria inoculants in soils [137][138][139], and plants/seeds [71,129,135,140] has shown positive results in ameliorating soil properties and enhancing seed germination, seedling emergence and plant growth in laboratory studies. However, successful large-scale ecosystem restoration may entail direct seeding or seedling planting [141][142][143][144].…”

Section: Challenges and Opportunities In The Application Of Cyanobacteria For Salt-affected Soils Restorationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cyanobacteria as a Nature-Based Biotechnological Tool for Restoring Salt-Affected Soils

et al. 2020

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Soil salinization poses an important threat to terrestrial ecosystems and is expected to increase as a consequence of climate change and anthropogenic pressures. Conventional methods such as salt-leaching or application of soil amendments, or nature-based solutions (NBSs) such as phytoremediation, have been widely adopted with contrasting results. The use of cyanobacteria for improving soil conditions has emerged as a novel biotechnological tool for ecosystem restoration due to the unique features of these organisms, e.g., ability to fix carbon and nitrogen and promote soil stabilisation. Cyanobacteria distribute over a wide range of salt concentrations and several species can adapt to fluctuating salinity conditions. Their application in agricultural saline soil remediation has been demonstrated, mostly in laboratory studies, but there is a lack of research regarding their use in natural ecosystems restoration. In this article, we provide an overview of the current knowledge on cyanobacteria in the context of ecosystem restoration. Examples of the application of cyanobacteria in alleviating salt-stress in plants and soils are presented. Furthermore, we acknowledge gaps regarding the extensive application of cyanobacteria in salt-affected soils remediation and discuss the challenges of NBSs in salt-affected soils restoration.

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Bio‐priming seeds with cyanobacteria: effects on native plant growth and soil properties

Abstract: This is the author manuscript accepted for publication and has undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process, which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as

Cited by 55 publications

References 46 publications

The contribution of pathogenic soil microbes to ring formation in an iconic Australian arid grass,

The contribution of pathogenic soil microbes to ring formation in an iconic Australian arid grass,

Field-Deployed Extruded Seed Pellets Show Promise for Perennial Grass Establishment in Arid Zone Mine Rehabilitation

Cyanobacteria as a Nature-Based Biotechnological Tool for Restoring Salt-Affected Soils

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