The effect of Glomus intraradices on the physiological properties of Panax ginseng and on rhizospheric microbial diversity

Abstract

BackgroundGlomus intraradices is a species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi that, as an obligate endomycorrhiza, can form mutually beneficial associations with plants. Panax ginseng is a popular traditional Chinese medicine; however, problems associated with ginseng planting, such as pesticide residues, reduce the ginseng quality.MethodsIn this experiment, we studied the effect of inoculating G. intraradices on several physiological properties and microbial communities of ginseng. UV-Visible Spectrum method was used to detect physical properties. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis method was used to analyze microbial communities.ResultsThe results indicated that inoculation with G. intraradices can improve the colonization rate of lateral ginseng roots, increase the levels of monomeric and total ginsenosides, and improve root activity as well as polyphenol oxidase and catalase activities. We also studied the bacterial and fungal communities in ginseng rhizospheric soil. In our study, G. intraradices inoculation improved the abundance and Shannon diversity of bacteria, whereas fungi showed a reciprocal effect. Furthermore, we found that G. intraradices inoculation might increase some beneficial bacterial species and decreased pathogenic fungi in rhizospheric soil of ginseng.ConclusionOur results showed that G. intraradices can benefit ginseng planting which may have some instructive and practical significance for planting ginseng in farmland.

Research Advances of Beneficial Microbiota Associated with Crop Plants

“…The beneficial microbiota, containing AMFs, PGPBs, and PGPFs, also affects the metabolism of various substances in plants [10,106,107]. This mutual relationship between microbiota and plants effectively supports plant performance and resistance to adverse environmental conditions [8][9][10][11] (Figure 1b).…”

“…Furthermore, one study reported that selenium (Se) × AMF interactions promoted both soybean and forage grass (Urochloa decumbens) for Se absorption, which improved the quality of the two plants used as animal feed [87]. Rhizoglomus intraradices, one model species of AMFs, help rice, soybean, ginseng (Panax ginseng), and other crops resist drought and cold stresses and promote nutrient absorption [10,88,89]. R. intraradices also promoted rice plants to resist blast disease (caused by Magnaporthe oryzae spores), and the transcriptome data revealed that R. intraradices-inoculated rice plants exhibited significantly higher expression levels of genes related to the auxin and salicylic acid signaling pathways than the noninoculated rice plants in response to M. oryzae [11].…”

“…Considering various compounds secreted by different plants, a different rhizosphere microbiota is associated with a different plant species to support their performance and stress resistance [20,104,105]. The beneficial microbiota, containing AMFs, PGPBs, and PGPFs, also affects the metabolism of various substances in plants [10,106,107]. This mutual relationship between microbiota and plants effectively supports plant performance and resistance to adverse environmental conditions [8][9][10][11] (Figure 1b).…”

“…Community compositions of the rhizosphere, phyllosphere, or endosphere microbiota associated with plants indicate the health or nutrient conditions of the plants [21,115,116,133,134]. On the one hand, the highly enriched pathogenic fungi in the rhizosphere indicate stress conditions that can adversely affect the growth of crop plants [10,135]. On the other hand, the beneficial rhizospheric microbes improve plant growth, nutrient absorption, and development based on the mechanisms, such as organic matter mineralization, disease containment against soil-borne pathogens, N 2 fixation, potassium (K) and phosphate solubilization, and IAA and ACC deaminase production [115,116].…”

“…Thus, different crop plant species can selectively assemble various microbes in their rhizosphere, phyllosphere, and endosphere [6,7]. Studies have revealed that the microbiota associated with plants is crucial in determining plant performance and health, because certain beneficial microbes improve plant growth and resistance to stresses [8][9][10][11][12].…”