Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), Rhizobia, and plant growth–promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are symbiotic partners of legume plants; their symbiotic associations enhance plant growth, development, and nutrient uptake. However, our understanding of their interactions on plant growth and their relationships to root architecture remains limited. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to investigate the individual and combined effects of AMF, Bacillus, and Rhizobium on plant growth and root morphological traits. Triple inoculations significantly promoted plant biomass, stem diameter, and height, and root surface area was significantly enhanced by individual or combined inoculations. The presence of AMF promoted root length and number of root branches while decreasing root volume, mean average diameter, and the root/shoot ratio. The results revealed that AMF and Rhizobium showed a synergistic effect on increasing root surface area but antagonistic effects on root average diameter and root volume. The interaction between Bacillus and AMF altered the negative relationship between specific root length and root diameter. Multipartite symbioses established by AMF, Bacillus, Rhizobium, and Medicago ruthenica had significant negative effects on plant-specific root length, showing the complicated and multifunctional associations of soil microbes and the amplifying roles of soil partner interactions.
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We appreciate the reviewers for their practical comments that improved the quality of this manuscript. We also thank **aoting Wei and Fengyan Jiang for their help in sampling.
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This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant numbers 31971746 and 32171685) and the Second Batch of Forestry and Grassland Ecological Protection and Restoration Funds in 2020: Biodiversity Conservation Project in Qinghai Area of Qilian Mountain National Park (QHTX-2021-009).
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Lu Yu: drafting of the article, analysis and interpretation of the data, and conception and design. Hui Zhang: conception and design, and analysis and interpretation of the data. Wantong Zhang and Bing Han: provision of the study materials or patients. Huakun Zhou, **nming Lu, and Yanfang Deng: administrative, technical, or logistic support. **nqing Shao and Kesi Liu: critical revision of the article for important intellectual content, and final approval of the article
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Yu, L., Zhang, H., Zhang, W. et al. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Alter the Interaction Effects Between Bacillus and Rhizobium on Root Morphological Traits of Medicago ruthenica L.. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 23, 2868–2877 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-023-01242-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-023-01242-2