Glucose addition promotes C fixation and bacteria diversity in C-poor soils, improves root morphology, and enhances key N metabolism in apple roots

• Published in: PloS one 2022-01, Vol.17 (1), p.e0262691-e0262691
• Main Authors: Qi, Bianbin, Zhang, Kuo, Qin, Sijun, Lyu, Deguo, He, Jiali
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural production; Amino acids; Ammonium; Apple; Bacteria; Bacteria - metabolism; Biology and Life Sciences; Biomass; Carbon - analysis; Carbon content; Carbon Cycle - drug effects; Carbon Cycle - physiology; Carbon fixation; Development; Dextrose; Diversity indices; Earth Sciences; Ecological function; Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Ecosystem; Engineering and Technology; Environmental aspects; Fixation; Fractions; Genetic Variation - genetics; Glucose; Glucose - metabolism; Horticulture; Malus - metabolism; Malus baccata; Metabolism; Methods; Microbiota - genetics; Microbiota - physiology; Microorganisms; Morphology; Nitrates - analysis; Nitrites - analysis; Nitrogen - metabolism; Nitrogen content; Nitrogen dioxide; Nutrients; Organic carbon; Organic soils; Physical Sciences; Physiological aspects; Plant growth; Plant Roots - metabolism; Plants; Root zone; Roots; Soil - chemistry; Soil bacteria; Soil dynamics; Soil improvement; Soil Microbiology; Soil microorganisms; Soils; Sterilization; Sustainable development; Terrestrial environments; Transcription
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262691

The interaction between plant, soil and microorganism plays a crucial role in sustainable development of terrestrial ecosystem function and diversity. However, little information is known about how plant growth, soil organic carbon (C) fractions and microorganism respond to exogenous C addition in soils with low organic C content. Three levels of 13C-glucose (equal to 0, 100% and 500% of initial microbial biomass C) were added to non-sterilized (corresponding to treatment abbreviation of CK, Glu-1, Glu-2, respectively) and sterilized soils (corresponding to treatment abbreviation of SS, SS+Glu-1, SS+Glu-2, respectively) planted with apple rootstock (Malus baccata (L.) Borkh.) seedings. The objectives of this study were to analyse the dynamics of soil organic C (SOC) fractions and soil bacterial community diversity with glucose levels and soil sterilization, and to explore the morphology of roots and nitrogen (N) metabolism by plant after glucose addition to sterilized/non-sterilized soils. Results showed that the contents of labile organic C fractions were significantly varied (P