Abstract
This study investigated the drought protection effects of six fungal and bacterial inoculants and ten consortia thereof on vegetative growth, nutritional status, and tuberization of potato under controlled and field conditions. It was hypothesized that microbial consortia offer improved drought protection as compared with single strains, due to complementary or synergistic effects, with differential impacts also of N fertilization management. Under NO3− fertilization, a 70% reduction in water supply over six weeks reduced shoot and tuber biomass of non-inoculated plants by 30% and 50%, respectively, and induced phosphate (P) limitation compared to the well-watered control. The P nutritional status was significantly increased above the deficiency threshold by three single-strain inoculants and eight consortia. This was associated with the presence of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) inoculant Rhizophagus irregularis MUCL41833 (five cases) and stimulation of root growth (five cases). Additionally, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42 and AMF + Pseudomonas brassicacearum 3Re2-7 significantly reduced irreversible drought-induced leaf damage after recovery to well-watered conditions. However, the microbial inoculants did not mitigate drought-induced reductions in tuber biomass, neither in greenhouse nor in field experiments. By contrast, NH4+-dominated fertilization significantly increased tuber biomass under drought stress (534%), which was further increased by additional AMF inoculation (951%). This coincided with (i) improved enzymatic detoxification of drought-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS), (ii) improved osmotic adjustment in the shoot tissue (glycine betaine accumulation), (iii) increased shoot concentrations of ABA, jasmonic acid, and indole acetic acid, involved in drought stress signaling and tuberization, and (iv) reduced irreversible drought-induced leaf damage. Additional application of bacterial inoculants further improved ROS detoxification by increasing the production of antioxidants but stimulated biomass allocation towards shoot growth at the expense of tuber development. The results demonstrated that microbial consortia could increase the probability of drought protection effects influenced by the form of N supply. However, protective effects on vegetative growth do not necessarily translate into yield benefits, which can be achieved by adequate combination of inoculants and fertilizers.
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Claims 20
Claim · model-written summary
A 70% water supply reduction reduced uninoculated shoot biomass by 30%.
- Taxon
- potato
Solanum tuberosumt0 - Treatment
- 70% reduction in water supplye0
- Outcome
- biomasse0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 30%e0
- Qualifier
- Under NO3− fertilizatione0
- Comparator
- well-watered controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Under NO3− fertilization, a 70% reduction in water supply over six weeks reduced shoot and tuber biomass of non-inoculated plants by 30% and 50%, respectively, and induced phosphate (P) limitation compared to the well-watered control.”
t0“potato”
Claim · model-written summary
A 70% water supply reduction reduced uninoculated tuber biomass by 50%.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- 70% reduction in water supplye0
- Outcome
- tuber biomasse0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 50%e0
- Qualifier
- Under NO3− fertilizatione0
- Comparator
- well-watered controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Under NO3− fertilization, a 70% reduction in water supply over six weeks reduced shoot and tuber biomass of non-inoculated plants by 30% and 50%, respectively, and induced phosphate (P) limitation compared to the well-watered control.”
t0“potato”
Claim · model-written summary
Water restriction induced phosphate limitation.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- water supplye1
- Outcome
- phosphate (P) limitatione0
- Direction
- inducede0
- Comparator
- well-watered controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“induced phosphate (P) limitation compared to the well-watered control”
t0“potato”
e1“a 70% reduction in water supply”
Claim · model-written summary
Three single-strain inoculants raised P status above the deficiency threshold.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- three single-strain inoculantse0
- Outcome
- P nutritional statuse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- threee0
- Comparator
- deficiency thresholde0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The P nutritional status was significantly increased above the deficiency threshold by three single-strain inoculants and eight consortia.”
t0“potato”
Claim · model-written summary
Eight consortia raised P status above the deficiency threshold.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- eight consortiae0
- Outcome
- P nutritional statuse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- eighte0
- Comparator
- deficiency thresholde0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The P nutritional status was significantly increased above the deficiency threshold by three single-strain inoculants and eight consortia.”
t0“potato”
Claim · model-written summary
Improved P status was associated with Rhizophagus irregularis MUCL41833 in five cases.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Interactor
- Rhizophagus irregularis MUCL41833
Rhizophagus irregularise0symbiont - Outcome
- P nutritional statuse1
- Value
- five casese0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This was associated with the presence of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) inoculant Rhizophagus irregularis MUCL41833 (five cases)”
t0“potato”
e1“The P nutritional status was significantly increased above the deficiency threshold”
Claim · model-written summary
Improved P status was associated with stimulated root growth in five cases.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Organ / stage
- roote0
- Outcome
- root growthe0
- Direction
- stimulatione0
- Value
- five casese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“and stimulation of root growth (five cases)”
t0“potato”
Claim · model-written summary
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42 reduced irreversible drought leaf damage after recovery.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Organ / stage
- leafe0
- Treatment
- Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42e0
- Interactor
- Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42Bacillus velezensis FZB42e0symbiont
- Outcome
- irreversible drought-induced leaf damagee0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42 and AMF + Pseudomonas brassicacearum 3Re2-7 significantly reduced irreversible drought-induced leaf damage after recovery to well-watered conditions.”
t0“potato”
Claim · model-written summary
AMF with Pseudomonas brassicacearum reduced irreversible drought leaf damage after recovery.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Organ / stage
- leafe0
- Treatment
- AMF + Pseudomonas brassicacearum 3Re2-7e0
- Interactor
- AMFe0symbiont
- Second interactor
- Pseudomonas brassicacearum 3Re2-7Pseudomonas brassicacearume0symbiont
- Outcome
- irreversible drought-induced leaf damagee0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42 and AMF + Pseudomonas brassicacearum 3Re2-7 significantly reduced irreversible drought-induced leaf damage after recovery to well-watered conditions.”
t0“potato”
Claim · model-written summary
Microbial inoculants did not mitigate drought reductions in tuber biomass in greenhouse or field.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- microbial inoculantse0
- Outcome
- drought-induced reductions in tuber biomasse0
- Direction
- did not mitigatee0
- Setting
- greenhouse nor in field experimentse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the microbial inoculants did not mitigate drought-induced reductions in tuber biomass, neither in greenhouse nor in field experiments.”
t0“potato”
Claim · model-written summary
Ammonium dominated fertilization increased drought stressed tuber biomass by 534%.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- NH4+-dominated fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- tuber biomasse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 534%e0
- Qualifier
- under drought stresse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“NH4+-dominated fertilization significantly increased tuber biomass under drought stress (534%)”
t0“potato”
Claim · model-written summary
Additional AMF inoculation increased drought stressed tuber biomass by 951%.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- additional AMF inoculatione0
- Interactor
- AMFe0symbiont
- Outcome
- tuber biomasse1
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 951%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“which was further increased by additional AMF inoculation (951%)”
t0“potato”
e1“NH4+-dominated fertilization significantly increased tuber biomass under drought stress (534%)”
Claim · model-written summary
The yield benefit coincided with improved ROS detoxification.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- drought-inducede0
- Outcome
- enzymatic detoxification of drought-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS)e0
- Direction
- improvede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“improved enzymatic detoxification of drought-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS)”
t0“potato”
Claim · model-written summary
The yield benefit coincided with improved shoot osmotic adjustment and glycine betaine accumulation.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Organ / stage
- shoot tissuee0
- Outcome
- osmotic adjustment in the shoot tissuee0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Qualifier
- glycine betaine accumulatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“improved osmotic adjustment in the shoot tissue (glycine betaine accumulation)”
t0“potato”
Claim · model-written summary
The yield benefit coincided with increased shoot ABA, jasmonic acid and indole acetic acid concentrations.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Organ / stage
- shoote0
- Outcome
- shoot concentrations of ABA, jasmonic acid, and indole acetic acide0
- Direction
- increasede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“increased shoot concentrations of ABA, jasmonic acid, and indole acetic acid”
t0“potato”
Claim · model-written summary
The yield benefit coincided with reduced irreversible drought leaf damage.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Organ / stage
- leafe0
- Outcome
- irreversible drought-induced leaf damagee0
- Direction
- reducede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“(iv) reduced irreversible drought-induced leaf damage”
t0“potato”
Claim · model-written summary
Additional bacterial inoculants improved ROS detoxification through greater antioxidant production.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- bacterial inoculantse0
- Outcome
- ROS detoxificatione0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Qualifier
- increasing the production of antioxidantse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Additional application of bacterial inoculants further improved ROS detoxification by increasing the production of antioxidants”
t0“potato”
Claim · model-written summary
Additional bacterial inoculants shifted biomass to shoots at the expense of tubers.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- bacterial inoculantse1
- Outcome
- biomass allocation towards shoot growth at the expense of tuber developmente0
- Direction
- stimulatede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“stimulated biomass allocation towards shoot growth at the expense of tuber development”
t0“potato”
e1“Additional application of bacterial inoculants”
Claim · model-written summary
Microbial consortia could increase the probability of drought protection depending on nitrogen supply.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- microbial consortiae0
- Outcome
- probability of drought protection effectse0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Qualifier
- influenced by the form of N supplye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“microbial consortia could increase the probability of drought protection effects influenced by the form of N supply”
t0“potato”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that suitable combinations of inoculants and fertilizers can deliver yield benefits.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- adequate combination of inoculants and fertilizerse0
- Outcome
- yield benefitse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“yield benefits, which can be achieved by adequate combination of inoculants and fertilizers”
t0“potato”
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