Exploiting the Potential of Bioreactors for Creating Spatial Organization in the Soil Microbiome: A Strategy for Increasing Sustainable Agricultural Practices
Industrial production of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and their crop application have caused considerable environmental impacts. Some eco-friendly alternatives try to solve them but raise some restrictions. We tested a novel method to produce a nitrogen bioinoculant by enriching a soil microbial c...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-07-01
|
| Series: | Microorganisms |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/10/7/1464 |
| _version_ | 1797416792744787968 |
|---|---|
| author | Carlos Fernando Gutiérrez Nicolás Rodríguez-Romero Siobhon Egan Elaine Holmes Janeth Sanabria |
| author_facet | Carlos Fernando Gutiérrez Nicolás Rodríguez-Romero Siobhon Egan Elaine Holmes Janeth Sanabria |
| author_sort | Carlos Fernando Gutiérrez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Industrial production of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and their crop application have caused considerable environmental impacts. Some eco-friendly alternatives try to solve them but raise some restrictions. We tested a novel method to produce a nitrogen bioinoculant by enriching a soil microbial community in bioreactors supplying N<sub>2</sub> by air pumping. The biomass enriched with diazotrophic bacteria was diluted and applied to N-depleted and sterilized soil of tomato plants. We estimated microbial composition and diversity by 16S rRNA metabarcoding from soil and bioreactors at different run times and during plant uprooting. Bioreactors promoted the N-fixing microbial community and revealed a hided diversity. One hundred twenty-four (124) operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were assigned to bacteria with a greater Shannon diversity during the reactor’s steady state. A total of 753 OTUs were found in the rhizospheres with higher biodiversity when the lowest concentration of bacteria was applied. The apparent bacterial abundance in the batch and continuous bioreactors suggested a more specific functional ecological organization. We demonstrate the usefulness of bioreactors to evidence hidden diversity in the soil when it passes through bioreactors. By obtaining the same growth of inoculated plants and the control with chemical synthesis fertilizers, we evidence the potential of the methodology that we have called directed bioprospecting to grow a complex nitrogen-fixing microbial community. The simplicity of the reactor’s operation makes its application promising for developing countries with low technological progress. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:09:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-47eeea79c7b544cc838e07537e60487e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:09:17Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj.art-47eeea79c7b544cc838e07537e60487e2023-12-03T11:59:36ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072022-07-01107146410.3390/microorganisms10071464Exploiting the Potential of Bioreactors for Creating Spatial Organization in the Soil Microbiome: A Strategy for Increasing Sustainable Agricultural PracticesCarlos Fernando Gutiérrez0Nicolás Rodríguez-Romero1Siobhon Egan2Elaine Holmes3Janeth Sanabria4Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Engineering School of Environmental & Natural Resources, Engineering Faculty, Universidad del Valle, Meléndez Campus, Cali 76001, ColombiaEnvironmental Microbiology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Engineering School of Environmental & Natural Resources, Engineering Faculty, Universidad del Valle, Meléndez Campus, Cali 76001, ColombiaAustralian National Phenome Center, Murdoch University, Perth 6150, AustraliaAustralian National Phenome Center, Murdoch University, Perth 6150, AustraliaEnvironmental Microbiology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Engineering School of Environmental & Natural Resources, Engineering Faculty, Universidad del Valle, Meléndez Campus, Cali 76001, ColombiaIndustrial production of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and their crop application have caused considerable environmental impacts. Some eco-friendly alternatives try to solve them but raise some restrictions. We tested a novel method to produce a nitrogen bioinoculant by enriching a soil microbial community in bioreactors supplying N<sub>2</sub> by air pumping. The biomass enriched with diazotrophic bacteria was diluted and applied to N-depleted and sterilized soil of tomato plants. We estimated microbial composition and diversity by 16S rRNA metabarcoding from soil and bioreactors at different run times and during plant uprooting. Bioreactors promoted the N-fixing microbial community and revealed a hided diversity. One hundred twenty-four (124) operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were assigned to bacteria with a greater Shannon diversity during the reactor’s steady state. A total of 753 OTUs were found in the rhizospheres with higher biodiversity when the lowest concentration of bacteria was applied. The apparent bacterial abundance in the batch and continuous bioreactors suggested a more specific functional ecological organization. We demonstrate the usefulness of bioreactors to evidence hidden diversity in the soil when it passes through bioreactors. By obtaining the same growth of inoculated plants and the control with chemical synthesis fertilizers, we evidence the potential of the methodology that we have called directed bioprospecting to grow a complex nitrogen-fixing microbial community. The simplicity of the reactor’s operation makes its application promising for developing countries with low technological progress.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/10/7/1464biofertilizerplant-growth-promotingbatchcontinuous culturediazotrophic bacteria |
| spellingShingle | Carlos Fernando Gutiérrez Nicolás Rodríguez-Romero Siobhon Egan Elaine Holmes Janeth Sanabria Exploiting the Potential of Bioreactors for Creating Spatial Organization in the Soil Microbiome: A Strategy for Increasing Sustainable Agricultural Practices Microorganisms biofertilizer plant-growth-promoting batch continuous culture diazotrophic bacteria |
| title | Exploiting the Potential of Bioreactors for Creating Spatial Organization in the Soil Microbiome: A Strategy for Increasing Sustainable Agricultural Practices |
| title_full | Exploiting the Potential of Bioreactors for Creating Spatial Organization in the Soil Microbiome: A Strategy for Increasing Sustainable Agricultural Practices |
| title_fullStr | Exploiting the Potential of Bioreactors for Creating Spatial Organization in the Soil Microbiome: A Strategy for Increasing Sustainable Agricultural Practices |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploiting the Potential of Bioreactors for Creating Spatial Organization in the Soil Microbiome: A Strategy for Increasing Sustainable Agricultural Practices |
| title_short | Exploiting the Potential of Bioreactors for Creating Spatial Organization in the Soil Microbiome: A Strategy for Increasing Sustainable Agricultural Practices |
| title_sort | exploiting the potential of bioreactors for creating spatial organization in the soil microbiome a strategy for increasing sustainable agricultural practices |
| topic | biofertilizer plant-growth-promoting batch continuous culture diazotrophic bacteria |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/10/7/1464 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT carlosfernandogutierrez exploitingthepotentialofbioreactorsforcreatingspatialorganizationinthesoilmicrobiomeastrategyforincreasingsustainableagriculturalpractices AT nicolasrodriguezromero exploitingthepotentialofbioreactorsforcreatingspatialorganizationinthesoilmicrobiomeastrategyforincreasingsustainableagriculturalpractices AT siobhonegan exploitingthepotentialofbioreactorsforcreatingspatialorganizationinthesoilmicrobiomeastrategyforincreasingsustainableagriculturalpractices AT elaineholmes exploitingthepotentialofbioreactorsforcreatingspatialorganizationinthesoilmicrobiomeastrategyforincreasingsustainableagriculturalpractices AT janethsanabria exploitingthepotentialofbioreactorsforcreatingspatialorganizationinthesoilmicrobiomeastrategyforincreasingsustainableagriculturalpractices |