Microbiome convergence enables siderophore-secreting-rhizobacteria to improve iron nutrition and yield of peanut intercropped with maize

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 839 - 17
• Main Authors: Wang, Nanqi, Wang, Tianqi, Chen, Yu, Wang, Ming, Lu, Qiaofang, Wang, Kunguang, Dou, Zhechao, Chi, Zhiguang, Qiu, Wei, Dai, Jing, Niu, Lei, Cui, Jianyu, Wei, Zhong, Zhang, Fusuo, Kümmerli, Rolf, Zuo, Yuanmei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 29-01-2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 101/58; 101/6; 140/131; 45/22; 45/23; 45/43; 45/77; 631/449/2668; 704/158/2456; 704/158/855; Agricultural practices; Agricultural production; Agriculture - methods; Arachis; Convergence; Corn; Crop yield; Field tests; Greenhouses; Humanities and Social Sciences; Intercropping; Iron; Legumes; Microbiomes; Microbiota; Microorganisms; multidisciplinary; Nutrition; Peanuts; Plant bacterial diseases; Plant nutrition; Pseudomonas; Pyoverdines; Rhizosphere; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Siderophores; Zea mays
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45207-0

Intercropping has the potential to improve plant nutrition as well as crop yield. However, the exact mechanism promoting improved nutrient acquisition and the role the rhizosphere microbiome may play in this process remains poorly understood. Here, we use a peanut/maize intercropping system to investigate the role of root-associated microbiota in iron nutrition in these crops, combining microbiome profiling, strain and substance isolation and functional validation. We find that intercropping increases iron nutrition in peanut but not in maize plants and that the microbiota composition changes and converges between the two plants tested in intercropping experiments. We identify a
Pseudomonas
secreted siderophore, pyoverdine, that improves iron nutrition in glasshouse and field experiments. Our results suggest that the presence of siderophore-secreting
Pseudomonas
in peanut and maize intercropped plays an important role in iron nutrition. These findings could be used to envision future intercropping practices aiming to improve plant nutrition.
Intercropping has the potential to improve plant nutrition and crop yield. Here, the authors intercrop peanut and maize and show that Pseudomonas secreted siderophore pyoverdine play an important role in plant iron nutrition.