Chickpea shows genotype-specific nodulation responses across soil nitrogen environment and root disease resistance categories

Abstract

Background The ability of chickpea to obtain sufficient nitrogen via its symbiotic relationship with Mesorhizobium ciceri is of critical importance in supporting growth and grain production. A number of factors can affect this symbiotic relationship including abiotic conditions, plant genotype, and disruptions to host signalling/perception networks. In order to support improved nodule formation in chickpea, we investigated how plant genotype and soil nutrient availability affect chickpea nodule formation and nitrogen fixation. Further, using transcriptomic profiling, we sought to identify gene expression patterns that characterize highly nodulated genotypes. Results A study involving six chickpea varieties demonstrated large genotype by soil nitrogen interaction effects on nodulation and further identified agronomic traits of genotypes (such as shoot weight) associated with high nodulation. We broadened our scope to consider 29 varieties and breeding lines to examine the relationship between soilborne disease resistance and the number of nodules developed and real-time nitrogen fixation. Results of this larger study supported the earlier genotype specific findings, however, disease resistance did not explain differences in nodulation across genotypes. Transcriptional profiling of six chickpea genotypes indicates that genes associated with signalling, N transport and cellular localization, as opposed to genes associated with the classical nodulation pathway, are more likely to predict whether a given genotype will exhibit high levels of nodule formation. Conclusions This research identified a number of key abiotic and genetic factors affecting chickpea nodule development and nitrogen fixation. These findings indicate that an improved understanding of genotype-specific factors affecting chickpea nodule induction and function are key research areas necessary to improving the benefits of rhizobial symbiosis in chickpea.

Contribution, Utilization, and Improvement of Legumes-Driven Biological Nitrogen Fixation in Agricultural Systems

“…Mixed cropping and crop rotations of a nonlegumes with legumes have been utilized for centuries to exploit BNF from legumes. The selection of appropriate legume hosts plays a dominant role in interaction with rhizobia (Liu et al, 2020;Plett et al, 2021). The selection of improved host legumes must be developed if higher levels of production and sustainability are to be achieved.…”

“…Best production from any environment can only be achieved by the use of the most appropriate biological material most matched for a particular environment and adopting management practices intended to avoid or minimize the particular ecological stress most likely to affect the symbiosis. According to Plett et al (2021), understanding how a genotype supports nodulation and Nfixation in legumes is important to maximize the benefit of Nfixation and reduce reliance on nitrogenous fertilizers. Vanlauwe et al (2019) stated that the primary methods to improve the potential of an effective BNF are (i) breeding of legume genotypes with increased BNF efficiency with elite strains; (ii) choosing of grain legumes (legume genotypes) that are satisfactorily promiscuous to nodulate successfully with the native rhizobia existing in the soils; and (iii) inoculating of legumes with effective and superior rhizobia strains.…”

GmARP is Related to the Type III Effector NopAA to Promote Nodulation in Soybean (Glycine max)

“…Many native Rhizobium species have been isolated and inoculated into soybean agricultural production to reduce the amount of applied N fertilizer (Chen et al, 2021). Rhizobia inoculations benefit the production of soybean as they promote plant growth by producing hormones, antibiotics, vitamins, and siderophores (Roy et al, 2020); in addition, rhizobia can enhance disease resistance (Plett et al, 2021;Zboralski et al, 2022).…”

Microbials for Agriculture: Why Do They Call Them Biostimulants When They Mean Probiotics?

“…Likewise, Azospirillum inoculant performance in cereals is very dependent on the plant genotype, which determines key features such as the initial root colonization and the later survival of the bacterium [ 61 , 62 ]. It is even more important to consider this functional compatibility in microbe-plant interactions which are known to be governed by severe genotype–genotype specificity, for instance the Rhizobia-legume symbioses [ 63 , 64 ].…”