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Agronomy
Special Issues
Interactions between Plants and Soil Microbes in Natural Ecosystem
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Interactions between Plants and Soil Microbes in Natural Ecosystem

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil and Plant Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2024 | Viewed by 1719

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Chao Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Interests: bacterial community; soil science; plant resistance; signaling molecules
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant–soil–microbe interactions drive biogeochemical processes in terrestrial ecosystems. In these systems, plants release nutrients into the soil in the form of residue decomposition and root exudates, which improves the soil environment and supplies substrates to soil microorganisms, and microorganisms transform organic nutrients into inorganic nutrients for plant absorption and utilization. The synergistic relationship between plants, soil, and microorganisms is the internal driving force of maintaining ecosystem structure and functions, such as nutrient cycling, biodiversity conservation, and food provision. Plant–soil–microbe interactions have become a hot spot in soil ecology, plant science, and environmental research. We especially encourage authors to conduct investigations into plant–soil–microbe interactions in natural soils, such as in grasslands, shrubs, forests, swamps, deserts, and so on, and reveal the underlying mechanism between the aboveground structure and belowground functions, such as the diversity–function relationship, nutrient–microbe associations, and rhizosphere dynamics.

Dr. Chao Zhang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 16943 KiB  
Article
Effects of Exogenous Organic Acids on the Soil Metabolites and Microbial Communities of Panax notoginseng from the Forest Understory
by Jingying Hei, Yue Li, Qiong Wang, Shu Wang and Xiahong He
Agronomy 2024, 14(3), 601; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14030601 - 17 Mar 2024
Viewed by 797
Abstract
Panax notoginseng (Sanqi) is a precious traditional Chinese medicine that is commonly cultivated using conventional management methods in agricultural systems in Yunnan, China, where it faces the challenge of continuous cropping obstacles (CCOs). However, the existence of Sanqi CCOs in Sanqi–pine agroforestry systems [...] Read more.
Panax notoginseng (Sanqi) is a precious traditional Chinese medicine that is commonly cultivated using conventional management methods in agricultural systems in Yunnan, China, where it faces the challenge of continuous cropping obstacles (CCOs). However, the existence of Sanqi CCOs in Sanqi–pine agroforestry systems remains unclear. Here, we applied three types of exogenous organic acids (phthalic acid, palmitic acid, and phthalic + palmitic mixed organic acids) mainly derived from the root exudates of Sanqi to simulate the CCOs; then, we compared the effects on plant growth, soil physicochemical properties, soil microbes, and soil metabolites. We found that organic acid concentrations of >250 mg/kg reduced the fresh weight of Sanqi and the levels of total nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, soil water content, total phosphorus, and pH value; these concentrations also increased the soil bacterial and fungal α-diversity. The type of organic acid, as opposed to the concentration and duration of treatment, had a vital impact on the structure of the bacterial and fungal community in Sanqi soils. Moreover, the organic acid concentrations of >250 mg/kg also decreased the complexity and stability of the bacterial and fungal network. In addition, the metabolic pathways in the soils under different organic acids included 17 differential metabolites (DMs), which were involved in steroid hormone biosynthesis. The structural equation models (SEMs) revealed that plant growth, soil edaphic factors, and soil metabolites had direct or indirect influences on soil microbial communities under different organic acid conditions. Our results suggest that any phthalic or palmitic acid concentrations at concentrations >250 mg/kg are detrimental to multiple aspects of Sanqi cultivation, confirming the presence of Sanqi CCOs in Sanqi–pine agroforestry systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interactions between Plants and Soil Microbes in Natural Ecosystem)
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20 pages, 6641 KiB  
Article
Physiological Nitrogen Uptake and Utilisation Responses in Two Native Plants from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau under Different Water and Fertiliser Conditions
by Xiangtao Wang, Chao Zhang, Ningning Zhao, Xingrong Sun, Shuai Hou and Puchang Wang
Agronomy 2024, 14(3), 440; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14030440 - 23 Feb 2024
Viewed by 554
Abstract
Drought and poor soil quality are the main characteristics of extreme environments in arctic–alpine areas. Understanding how herbaceous plants in alpine grasslands maintain the normal supply and utilisation of nutrients under different rainfall conditions is key to maintaining population stability. In the present [...] Read more.
Drought and poor soil quality are the main characteristics of extreme environments in arctic–alpine areas. Understanding how herbaceous plants in alpine grasslands maintain the normal supply and utilisation of nutrients under different rainfall conditions is key to maintaining population stability. In the present study, the native plants Poa crymophila and Stipa purpurea of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau were used to conduct a controlled experiment involving water and fertiliser to analyse their physiological responses in terms of nutrient uptake and utilisation. The results showed that decreased soil moisture increased proline and non-structural carbohydrates in P. crymophila, mainly accumulating in the leaves and stems. Nitrogen (N) addition promoted proline accumulation, whereas nonstructural carbohydrate content decreased. However, the proline and non-structural carbohydrate contents of S. purpurea were less affected by water and fertiliser. Additionally, drought restricted rhizospheric and non-rhizospheric alkaline-hydrolysed N release, increased rapidly available phosphorus (RAP) content in rhizospheric soil, limited root growth, and reduced surface area, root length, and root volume. Both aboveground and underground N fertiliser utilisation rates decreased. Under well-hydrated conditions (WH), high N levels increased rhizospheric alkaline-hydrolysed N and urease activity while inhibiting RAP and activity of alkaline phosphatase contents, thereby limiting root growth and reducing N fertiliser utilisation. The results indicate that both plant species have relatively low overall nutrient requirements that are limited mainly by water availability. The addition of low amounts of fertiliser is beneficial for nutrient release and utilisation, improving their adaptability to arctic–alpine environments and their suitability and superiority in the community. This study has significant implications for nutrient management and ecological restoration measures in arctic–alpine grasslands. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interactions between Plants and Soil Microbes in Natural Ecosystem)
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