Inoculation with native Actinobacteria may improve desert plant growth and survival with potential use for restoration practices

SOLANS, M; YAMILA IVÓN PELLIZA; TADEY M.,

MICROBIAL ECOLOGY

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2022

0095-3628

Soil microorganisms, together with water, play a key role in arid ecosystems, beingresponsible for the nutrient cycle, facilitating nutrient incorporation into plants,influencing plant drought tolerance and enhancing their establishment. Therefore, theiruse for restoration practices is promising. We tested the potential of native strains ofactinobacteria from Monte Desert as growth promoters of native vegetation, isolatingthem from two substrates from their habitat (bare soil and leaf-cutting ant refusedumps). Strains were inoculated into the soil where seedlings of three native plantspecies ( Atriplex lampa, Grindelia chiloensis, Gutierrezia solbrigii ) were growing.Seedlings were grown following a full factorial design experiment under greenhouseand field conditions comparing native actinobacteria effects with a known growthpromotingstrain, Streptomyces sp . (BCRU-MM40 (GenBank accesion number:FJ771041), and control treatments. Seedlings survived greenhouse condition butspecies survival and growth were different among treatments at field conditions,varying over time. The highest survival was observed in a native soil strain (S20) whilethe lowest in MM40. The low survival in MM40 and in the other treatments may beexplained by the higher herbivory observed in those seedlings compared to controlones, suggesting a higher nutritional status in inoculated plants. Strains from refusedumps were the best at enhancing seedling growth, while strains from soil were thebest at maintaining their survival. Native actinobacteria studied may increase plantspecies survival and growth by improving their nutritional status, suggesting theirpotential to facilitate vegetation establishment and, therefore, being good candidatesfor restoration practices. Furthermore, plant species respond differently to differentstrains, highlighting the importance of microorganism diversity for ecosystemfunctioning.