Nitrogen‐dependent bacterial community shifts in root, rhizome and rhizosphere of nutrient‐efficient Miscanthus x giganteus from long‐term field trials

Abstract

Abstract The perennial energy crop Miscanthus × giganteus is recognized for its extraordinary nitrogen‐use efficiency. While the remobilization of nitrogen (N) to the rhizome after the growth phase contributes to this efficiency, the plant‐associated microbiome might also contribute, as N‐fixing bacterial species had been isolated from this grass. Here, we studied established Miscanthus × giganteus plots in southern Germany that either received 80 kg N ha−1 a−1 or that were not N‐fertilized for 14 years. The bacterial communities of the bulk soil, rhizosphere, roots and rhizomes were analysed. Major differences were encountered between plant‐associated fractions. Nitrogen had little effect on soil communities. The roots and rhizomes showed less microbial diversity than soil fractions. In these compartments, Actinobacteria and N‐fixing symbiosis‐associated Proteobacteria depended on N. Intriguingly, N2‐fixing‐related bacterial families were enriched in the rhizomes in long‐term zero N plots, while denitrifier‐related families were depleted. These findings point to the rhizome as a potentially interesting plant organ for N fixation and demonstrate long‐term differences in the organ‐specific bacterial communities associated with different N supply, which are mainly shaped by the plant.

Keywords

• biomass
• diazotroph
• endophyte
• Miscanthus
• plant growth‐promoting bacteria