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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center » Cell Wall Biology and Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #408072
Research Project: Improving Utilization of Forages in Integrated Dairy Production Systems to Enhance Sustainable Farming Systems and Food Security

Location: Cell Wall Biology and Utilization Research

Title: Rhizosphere microbial community structure in high-producing, low-input switchgrass families

Author
item Arther, Christina
item Panke-Buisse, Kevin
item Duff, Alison
item Molodchenko, Andrew
item Casler, Michael

Submitted to: PLOS ONE
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/13/2024
Publication Date: 10/3/2024
Citation: Arther, C.M., Panke-Buisse, K., Duff, A., Molodchenko, A.S., Casler, M.D. 2024. Rhizosphere microbial community structure in high-producing, low-input switchgrass families. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0308753.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0308753

Interpretive Summary: Switchgrass is an attractive biomass crop because it can be grown on marginal soils with minimal input; however, nitrogen is often still required to meet biomass production standards. Several switchgrass genotypes have been identified that produce more biomass when grown without nitrogen. Soil microbes around roots can make nitrogen available for the plant, either by fixing nitrogen from the air, or mineralizing it from the soil. Either (or both) of these processes may play a role in the observed biomass increase in low-input switchgrass biomass production. The results of this work provide insight into the role of the microbial community in switchgrass family responses to nitrogen fertilization at two different locations, which may be helpful for choosing low-input, high-biomass switchgrass varieties in a site-specific manner.

Technical Abstract: Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a native, low-input North American perennial crop primarily grown for bioenergy, livestock forage, and industrial fiber. To achieve no-input switchgrass production that meets biomass needs, several switchgrass genotypes have been identified that have a low or negative response to nitrogen fertilizer; i.e., the biomass accumulation with added nitrogen is less than or equal to that when grown without added nitrogen. In order to improve the viability of low-input switchgrass production, a more detailed understanding of the biogeochemical mechanisms active in these select genotypes is needed. 16S ribosomal RNA and ITS (internal transcribed spacer) amplicon sequencing and quantitative PCR of key functional genes were applied to switchgrass rhizospheres to elucidate microbial community structure in high-producing, no-input switchgrass families. Rhizosphere microbial community structure differed strongly between sites and nitrogen responsiveness.