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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Parlier, California » San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center » Crop Diseases, Pests and Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #410116
Research Project: Identifying Vulnerabilities in Vector-host-pathogen Interactions of Grapevine and Citrus Pathosystems to Advance Sustainable Management Strategies

Location: Crop Diseases, Pests and Genetics Research

Title: Species diversity, nitrogen fixation, and nutrient solubilization activities of endophytic bacteria in pea embryos

Author
item HAO, JUNJIE - Qingdao Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item ZHANG, XIAOYAN - Qingdao Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item QIU, SHIZUO - Qingdao Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item SONG, FENGJING - Qingdao Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item LYU, XIANGHUA - Qingdao Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item MA, YU - The Ohio State University
item Peng, Hao

Submitted to: Applied Sciences
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/15/2024
Publication Date: 1/17/2024
Citation: Hao, J., Zhang, X., Qiu, S., Song, F., Lyu, X., Ma, Y., Peng, H. 2024. Species diversity, nitrogen fixation, and nutrient solubilization activities of endophytic bacteria in pea embryos. Applied Sciences. 14(2). Article 788. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14020788.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/app14020788

Interpretive Summary: Bacteria living within legume plants play critical roles in supplying essential nutrients to host plants. These bacteria have been widely studied in legume roots and nodules. However, little is known about embryonic bacteria that facilitate legume nutrient utilization after seed germination. Here, we investigated species diversity, nitrogen fixation and nutrient solubilization activities of embryonic bacteria in five representative edible pea (Pisum sativum) cultivars and pea sprout control. Some bacteria exhibited notable nitrogen fixation, potassium, and phosphorus solubilization, and auxin production activities. These bacterial strains can be potentially used for biofertilizer development.

Technical Abstract: Endophytic bacteria, especially those that participate in nitrogen fixation, play critical roles in supplying essential nutrients for legume plant growth. Despite the numerous bacterial microbiome reports targeting legume roots and nodules, little is known about embryonic bacteria that facilitate plant nutrient utilization after seed germination. Here, we collected and investigated endophytic bacterial microbiomes in edible pea (Pisum sativum) embryos using five representative cultivars and a pea sprout control. Twenty-six nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NFBs) were isolated from pea embryos, with three strains found in fresh pea (FGP) and snow pea (SP) exhibiting strongest nitrogenase activity. Some NFB isolates are also potassium-solubilizing bacteria (KSBs) or phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria (PSBs) utilizing inorganic and/or organic phosphorus. All 26 NFBs showed variable levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) secretion. The nutrient solubilizing NFBs identified in our research are potential targets for biofertilizer development. High throughput 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing of 40 bacterial collections from pea embryos revealed similar community structures and species abundances and diversities in most samples. Our embryo-derived endophytic bacterial pool provides a microbiome platform for seed dormancy and germination research of edible peas