If you can’t beat them, join them: using invasive plants to understand rhizodeposits as drivers of plant-soil feedbacks

The soil microbiome can increase crop resilience to both abiotic and biotic stress, and there is growing interest in uncovering the mechanisms by which we can shape plant associated microbiomes to increase crop yields within stressful environments. Through rhizodeposits, plants influence the composi...

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Main Authors: Carolyn J. Lowry, Katherine M. Blocklove, Kara E. Eckert, Nasib Koirala, Emma K. Rice
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2024-03-01
Series:Frontiers in Agronomy
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fagro.2024.1363124/full
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author Carolyn J. Lowry
Katherine M. Blocklove
Kara E. Eckert
Nasib Koirala
Emma K. Rice
Emma K. Rice
author_facet Carolyn J. Lowry
Katherine M. Blocklove
Kara E. Eckert
Nasib Koirala
Emma K. Rice
Emma K. Rice
author_sort Carolyn J. Lowry
collection DOAJ
description The soil microbiome can increase crop resilience to both abiotic and biotic stress, and there is growing interest in uncovering the mechanisms by which we can shape plant associated microbiomes to increase crop yields within stressful environments. Through rhizodeposits, plants influence the composition of microbial communities and abiotic conditions in the rhizosphere, potentially generating plant-soil feedbacks which can increase nutrient availability and competitive ability against neighboring plants. Invasive plants have repeatedly been shown to drive plant-soil feedbacks that increase their ability to adapt to a wide range of environmental conditions and suppress neighboring plants. Using invasive plants as model species, we discuss what is currently known about the mechanisms that generate the plant-soil feedbacks that increase plant productivity, competitive ability, and resilience. Specifically, invasive potential is enhanced through 1) positive direct feedback loops which occur within a species, and can occur through enhanced mutualistic associations; or 2) negative indirect feedback loops, when feedbacks affect heterospecific plants through either allelopathy, disruption of mutualistic associations, and increased pathogen abundance. Knowledge on invasive plant exudate-microbe interactions may increase cropping system resilience through breeding superior crop genotypes, or potentially through soil amendments that disrupt weed-microbe interactions. We argue that because the soil biotic and native plant community often evolve in response to negative indirect feedback loops, focusing breeding efforts on positive direct plant-soil feedbacks, such as those that increase mutualistic associations and nutrient availability in the rhizosphere, are likely to lead to long-term stress resilient crops. Future research should explore to what extent upregulating production of specific exudates in non-invasive crop species generate the same plant-soil feedbacks responsible for invasive plant success.
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spelling doaj.art-3137ec85a47447169ff94f898e2d19862024-03-08T04:23:43ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Agronomy2673-32182024-03-01610.3389/fagro.2024.13631241363124If you can’t beat them, join them: using invasive plants to understand rhizodeposits as drivers of plant-soil feedbacksCarolyn J. Lowry0Katherine M. Blocklove1Kara E. Eckert2Nasib Koirala3Emma K. Rice4Emma K. Rice5Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United StatesDepartment of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United StatesDepartment of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United StatesDepartment of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United StatesDepartment of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United StatesIntercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Penn State University, University Park, PA, United StatesThe soil microbiome can increase crop resilience to both abiotic and biotic stress, and there is growing interest in uncovering the mechanisms by which we can shape plant associated microbiomes to increase crop yields within stressful environments. Through rhizodeposits, plants influence the composition of microbial communities and abiotic conditions in the rhizosphere, potentially generating plant-soil feedbacks which can increase nutrient availability and competitive ability against neighboring plants. Invasive plants have repeatedly been shown to drive plant-soil feedbacks that increase their ability to adapt to a wide range of environmental conditions and suppress neighboring plants. Using invasive plants as model species, we discuss what is currently known about the mechanisms that generate the plant-soil feedbacks that increase plant productivity, competitive ability, and resilience. Specifically, invasive potential is enhanced through 1) positive direct feedback loops which occur within a species, and can occur through enhanced mutualistic associations; or 2) negative indirect feedback loops, when feedbacks affect heterospecific plants through either allelopathy, disruption of mutualistic associations, and increased pathogen abundance. Knowledge on invasive plant exudate-microbe interactions may increase cropping system resilience through breeding superior crop genotypes, or potentially through soil amendments that disrupt weed-microbe interactions. We argue that because the soil biotic and native plant community often evolve in response to negative indirect feedback loops, focusing breeding efforts on positive direct plant-soil feedbacks, such as those that increase mutualistic associations and nutrient availability in the rhizosphere, are likely to lead to long-term stress resilient crops. Future research should explore to what extent upregulating production of specific exudates in non-invasive crop species generate the same plant-soil feedbacks responsible for invasive plant success.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fagro.2024.1363124/fullinvasive plantrhizodepositplant-soil feedback (PSF)stress toleranceallelopathy
spellingShingle Carolyn J. Lowry
Katherine M. Blocklove
Kara E. Eckert
Nasib Koirala
Emma K. Rice
Emma K. Rice
If you can’t beat them, join them: using invasive plants to understand rhizodeposits as drivers of plant-soil feedbacks
Frontiers in Agronomy
invasive plant
rhizodeposit
plant-soil feedback (PSF)
stress tolerance
allelopathy
title If you can’t beat them, join them: using invasive plants to understand rhizodeposits as drivers of plant-soil feedbacks
title_full If you can’t beat them, join them: using invasive plants to understand rhizodeposits as drivers of plant-soil feedbacks
title_fullStr If you can’t beat them, join them: using invasive plants to understand rhizodeposits as drivers of plant-soil feedbacks
title_full_unstemmed If you can’t beat them, join them: using invasive plants to understand rhizodeposits as drivers of plant-soil feedbacks
title_short If you can’t beat them, join them: using invasive plants to understand rhizodeposits as drivers of plant-soil feedbacks
title_sort if you can t beat them join them using invasive plants to understand rhizodeposits as drivers of plant soil feedbacks
topic invasive plant
rhizodeposit
plant-soil feedback (PSF)
stress tolerance
allelopathy
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fagro.2024.1363124/full
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