Field evaluation of the effect of Aspergillus niger on lettuce growth using conventional measurements and a high-throughput phenotyping method based on aerial images

Plant microbiome engineering is a promising tool to unlock crop productivity potential and exceed the yield obtained with conventional chemical inputs. We studied the effect of Aspergillus niger inoculation on in-field lettuce (Lactuca sativa) growth in soils with limiting and non-limiting P concent...

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Main Authors: Patrick Vieira Silva, Lucas Medeiros Pereira, Gustavo de Souza Marques Mundim, Gabriel Mascarenhas Maciel, Rodrigo Bezerra de Araújo Gallis, Gilberto de Oliveira Mendes
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2022-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9484672/?tool=EBI
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author Patrick Vieira Silva
Lucas Medeiros Pereira
Gustavo de Souza Marques Mundim
Gabriel Mascarenhas Maciel
Rodrigo Bezerra de Araújo Gallis
Gilberto de Oliveira Mendes
author_facet Patrick Vieira Silva
Lucas Medeiros Pereira
Gustavo de Souza Marques Mundim
Gabriel Mascarenhas Maciel
Rodrigo Bezerra de Araújo Gallis
Gilberto de Oliveira Mendes
author_sort Patrick Vieira Silva
collection DOAJ
description Plant microbiome engineering is a promising tool to unlock crop productivity potential and exceed the yield obtained with conventional chemical inputs. We studied the effect of Aspergillus niger inoculation on in-field lettuce (Lactuca sativa) growth in soils with limiting and non-limiting P concentrations. Lettuce plants originating from inoculated seeds showed increased plant diameter (6.9%), number of leaves (8.1%), fresh weight (23.9%), and chlorophyll content (3.8%) as compared to non-inoculated ones. Inoculation of the seedling substrate just before transplanting was equally efficient to seed inoculation, while application of a granular formulation at transplanting did not perform well. Plant response to P addition was observed only up to 150 kg P2O5 ha-1, but A. niger inoculation allowed further increments in all vegetative parameters. We also employed a high-throughput phenotyping method based on aerial images, which allowed us to detect changes in plants due to A. niger inoculation. The visible atmospherically resistant index (VARI) produced an accurate prediction model for chlorophyll content, suggesting this method might be used to large-scale surveys of croplands inoculated with beneficial microorganisms. Our findings demonstrate that A. niger inoculation surpasses the yield obtained with conventional chemical inputs, allowing productivity gains not reached by just increasing P doses.
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spelling doaj.art-2eb91f7ee4694401a0f9cea8bb6ee5c72022-12-22T01:45:44ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032022-01-01179Field evaluation of the effect of Aspergillus niger on lettuce growth using conventional measurements and a high-throughput phenotyping method based on aerial imagesPatrick Vieira SilvaLucas Medeiros PereiraGustavo de Souza Marques MundimGabriel Mascarenhas MacielRodrigo Bezerra de Araújo GallisGilberto de Oliveira MendesPlant microbiome engineering is a promising tool to unlock crop productivity potential and exceed the yield obtained with conventional chemical inputs. We studied the effect of Aspergillus niger inoculation on in-field lettuce (Lactuca sativa) growth in soils with limiting and non-limiting P concentrations. Lettuce plants originating from inoculated seeds showed increased plant diameter (6.9%), number of leaves (8.1%), fresh weight (23.9%), and chlorophyll content (3.8%) as compared to non-inoculated ones. Inoculation of the seedling substrate just before transplanting was equally efficient to seed inoculation, while application of a granular formulation at transplanting did not perform well. Plant response to P addition was observed only up to 150 kg P2O5 ha-1, but A. niger inoculation allowed further increments in all vegetative parameters. We also employed a high-throughput phenotyping method based on aerial images, which allowed us to detect changes in plants due to A. niger inoculation. The visible atmospherically resistant index (VARI) produced an accurate prediction model for chlorophyll content, suggesting this method might be used to large-scale surveys of croplands inoculated with beneficial microorganisms. Our findings demonstrate that A. niger inoculation surpasses the yield obtained with conventional chemical inputs, allowing productivity gains not reached by just increasing P doses.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9484672/?tool=EBI
spellingShingle Patrick Vieira Silva
Lucas Medeiros Pereira
Gustavo de Souza Marques Mundim
Gabriel Mascarenhas Maciel
Rodrigo Bezerra de Araújo Gallis
Gilberto de Oliveira Mendes
Field evaluation of the effect of Aspergillus niger on lettuce growth using conventional measurements and a high-throughput phenotyping method based on aerial images
PLoS ONE
title Field evaluation of the effect of Aspergillus niger on lettuce growth using conventional measurements and a high-throughput phenotyping method based on aerial images
title_full Field evaluation of the effect of Aspergillus niger on lettuce growth using conventional measurements and a high-throughput phenotyping method based on aerial images
title_fullStr Field evaluation of the effect of Aspergillus niger on lettuce growth using conventional measurements and a high-throughput phenotyping method based on aerial images
title_full_unstemmed Field evaluation of the effect of Aspergillus niger on lettuce growth using conventional measurements and a high-throughput phenotyping method based on aerial images
title_short Field evaluation of the effect of Aspergillus niger on lettuce growth using conventional measurements and a high-throughput phenotyping method based on aerial images
title_sort field evaluation of the effect of aspergillus niger on lettuce growth using conventional measurements and a high throughput phenotyping method based on aerial images
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9484672/?tool=EBI
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