Colonization Ability of Bacillus subtilis NCD-2 in Different Crops and Its Effect on Rhizosphere Microorganisms

Abstract

Bacillus subtilis strain NCD-2 is a promising biocontrol agent for soil-borne plant diseases and shows potential for promoting the growth of some crops. The purposes of this study were to analyze the colonization ability of strain NCD-2 in different crops and reveal the plant growth promotion mechanism of strain NCD-2 by rhizosphere microbiome analysis. qRT-PCR was used to determine the populations of strain NCD-2, and microbial communities’ structures were analyzed through amplicon sequencing after application of strain NCD-2. Results demonstrated that strain NCD-2 had a good growth promotion effect on tomato, eggplant and pepper, and it was the most abundant in eggplant rhizosphere soil. There were significantly differences in the types of beneficial microorganisms recruited for different crops after application of strain NCD-2. PICRUSt analysis showed that the relative abundances of functional genes for amino acid transport and metabolism, coenzyme transport and metabolism, lipid transport and metabolism, inorganic ion transport and metabolism, and defense mechanisms were enriched in the rhizospheres of pepper and eggplant more than in the rhizospheres of cotton, tomato and maize after application of strain NCD-2. In summary, the colonization ability of strain NCD-2 for five plants was different. There were differences in microbial communities’ structure in rhizosphere of different plants after application of strain NCD-2. Based on the results obtained in this study, it was concluded that the growth promoting ability of strain NCD-2 were correlated with its colonization quantity and the microbial species it recruited.

Exploring Synergistic Effects of Levan and Levan‐MetabolizingBacillaceae in Promoting Growth and Enhancing Immunity of Tomato and Wheat

“…Moreover, it has been shown that tomato, eggplant and pepper treated by B. subtilis NCD‐2 have significantly enhanced the plant height and biomass. Conversely, the same strain did only marginally affect the plant height of cotton and maize, suggesting species‐specific reactions (Zhao et al 2023), which fits well with our findings on the marginal growth promoting effects on wheat as compared to tomato. Thus, similar approaches generate different results in eudicots and monocots, highlighting the need to better understand and differentiate priming and prebiotic effects in different plant species to increase the efficiency and applicability of agricultural priming technologies for specific crops (Ortmann et al, 2006).…”

Rhizosphere engineering for semiarid tropics: prospects and bottlenecks

“…Additionally, rhizosphere colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi enhances resistance to pathogens [135] Apart from promoting plant growth, rhizosphere microbes regulate crop pests and diseases. However, it is crucial to recognize that some soil-dwelling microbes can harm animals and humans [136]. As a result, developing or screening microbial species for biotechnological applications or environmental remediation becomes crucial.…”

“…Genetically engineered bacterial strains can synthesize rhizosphere molecules necessary for plants to extract vital nutrients from the soil. In a greenhouse experiment, researchers applied an engineered bacterial strain to the soil surrounding maize plant roots, resulting in a 40% reduction in the fertilizer input [136]. In arid regions worldwide, soil pH exhibits a wide range, from 5 to 10, and can even be lower than 5 in some areas, with conductivities below 200 µS/cm [21].…”

Arabinose Plays an Important Role in Regulating the Growth and Sporulation of Bacillus subtilis NCD-2

“…Bacillus subtilis NCD-2 showed a promising biocontrol effect against plant soil-borne diseases and was developed as a commercial microbial fungicide against cotton verticillium wilt in China [15][16][17]. This study aimed to screen the nutrients suitable for the growth and sporulation of strain NCD-2 and then explore the mechanism for regulating sporulation via these nutrients.…”