Root-Associated Bacterial Community Shifts in Hydroponic Lettuce Cultured with Urine-Derived Fertilizer

Recovery of nutrients from source-separated urine can truncate our dependency on synthetic fertilizers, contributing to more sustainable food production. Urine-derived fertilizers have been successfully applied in soilless cultures. However, little is known about the adaptation of the plant to the n...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Microorganisms (Basel) 2021-06, Vol.9 (6), p.1326
Main Authors: Van Gerrewey, Thijs, El-Nakhel, Christophe, De Pascale, Stefania, De Paepe, Jolien, Clauwaert, Peter, Kerckhof, Frederiek-Maarten, Boon, Nico, Geelen, Danny
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agrochemicals
Antioxidants
Bacteria
Biomass
Carotenoids
Chlorophyll
Community involvement
Compound fertilizers
Content analysis
Dietary minerals
Electrodialysis
Eutrophication
Experiments
Fertilizers
Food production
Food supply
Genera
Growth conditions
Hydroponics
Lettuce
nutrient cycling
Nutrients
organic fertilizer
Phenolic compounds
Phenols
Physiology
Plant growth
Seeds
soilless culture
source-separated urine
Struvite
Sustainable food systems
Sustainable production
Urine
urine-derived fertilizer
waste streams
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Summary:Recovery of nutrients from source-separated urine can truncate our dependency on synthetic fertilizers, contributing to more sustainable food production. Urine-derived fertilizers have been successfully applied in soilless cultures. However, little is known about the adaptation of the plant to the nutrient environment. This study investigated the impact of urine-derived fertilizers on plant performance and the root-associated bacterial community of hydroponically grown lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Shoot biomass, chlorophyll, phenolic, antioxidant, and mineral content were associated with shifts in the root-associated bacterial community structures. K-struvite, a high-performing urine-derived fertilizer, supported root-associated bacterial communities that overlapped most strongly with control NPK fertilizer. Contrarily, lettuce performed poorly with electrodialysis (ED) concentrate and hydrolyzed urine and hosted distinct root-associated bacterial communities. Comparing the identified operational taxonomic units (OTU) across the fertilizer conditions revealed strong correlations between specific bacterial genera and the plant physiological characteristics, salinity, and NO3−/NH4+ ratio. The root-associated bacterial community networks of K-struvite and NPK control fertilized plants displayed fewer nodes and node edges, suggesting that good plant growth performance does not require highly complex ecological interactions in hydroponic growth conditions.
ISSN:2076-2607
2076-2607
DOI:10.3390/microorganisms9061326