Exploring the diversity of the root-associated microbiome of Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil (Yerba Mate)

BERGOTTINI VM; HERVE, VICENTE; SOSA DA; MÓNICA OTEGUI; ZAPATA, PEDRO DARÍO; JUNIER P

PLANT AND SOIL

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2017 vol. 109 p. 23 - 31

0032-079X

Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil (Yerba Mate) is an important crop for which a decrease in yields associated to unsustainable agricultural practices is well documented. Ecologically friendly agricultural alternatives for this crop are urgently required. Microorganisms inhabiting roots can modulate plant nutrition and health but, in the case of yerba mate, the root-associated microbiome is unknown. In this study we investigated the diversity of bacteria and fungi inhabiting roots of yerba mate from eleven plantations with different agricultural practices. Although the most common bacterial OTUs detected could not be accurately identified, OTUs related to well-known plant growth promoting bacteria such as Burkholderia, Bradyrhizobium, Weissella, Enterobacter and Rhizobium were detected, those might constitute targets for future enrichment efforts of plant growth promoting clades. The analysis of the fungal community composition demonstrated that arbuscular mycorrhizae colonize yerba mate roots, and that the frequency of this group is favored in degraded soils. The detection of other groups harboring potential phytopathogenes might help to broaden the understanding of the ailments affecting this crop. This study provides the first description of the root-associated microbiota of Yerba Mate and constitutes a steppingstone towards harnessing the role of microbes in the sustainable cultivation of this crop