Publication Type
Journal Article
Journal Name
Frontiers in Microbiology
Publication Date
1-1-2024
Abstract
Background: Desmodium species used as intercrops in push-pull cropping systems are known to repel insect-pests, suppress Striga species weeds, and shift soil microbiome. However, the mechanisms through which Desmodium species impact the soil microbiome, either through its root exudates, changes in soil nutrition, or shading microbes from its nodules into the rhizosphere, are less understood. Here, we investigated the diversity of root-nodule microbial communities of three Desmodium species- Desmodium uncinatum (SLD), Desmodium intortum (GLD), and Desmodium incanum (AID) which are currently used in smallholder maize push-pull technology (PPT). Methods: Desmodium species root-nodule samples were collected from selected smallholder farms in western Kenya, and genomic DNA was extracted from the root-nodules. The amplicons underwent paired-end Illumina sequencing to assess bacterial and fungal populations. Results: We found no significant differences in composition and relative abundance of bacterial and fungal species within the root-nodules of the three Desmodium species. While a more pronounced shift was observed for fungal community compositions compared to bacteria, no significant differences were observed in the general diversity (evenness and richness) of fungal and bacterial populations among the three Desmodium species. Similarly, beta diversity was not significantly different among the three Desmodium species. The root-nodule microbiome of the three Desmodium species was dominated by Bradyrhizobium and Fusarium species. Nevertheless, there were significant differences in the proportion of marker gene sequences responsible for energy and amino acid biosynthesis among the three Desmodium species, with higher sequence proportions observed in SLD. Conclusion: There is no significant difference in the microbial community of the three Desmodium species used in PPT. However, root-nodule microbiome of SLD had significantly higher marker gene sequences responsible for energy and amino acid biosynthesis. Therefore, it is likely that the root-nodules of the three Desmodium species host similar microbiomes and influence soil health, consequently impacting plant growth and agroecosystem functioning.
Keywords
16S and ITS, Amplicon sequencing, Desmodium species, push-pull cropping system, root-nodules microbiome
Funding Statement
The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Integrated pest management strategy to counter the threat of invasive FAW to food security in eastern Africa (FAW-IPM) (Grant no. DCI-FOOD/2017/) financed by European Union; Scaling regenerative black soldier fly farming innovations with vegetable push-pull cropping systems for One Health in rural Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda (Grant no. DN00151) financed by IKEA Foundation. IA was supported by the Combating Arthropod Pest in Africa (CAP Africa) project (Grant no. RAF-3058 KEN-18/0005) funded by Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).
Recommended Citation
Adan, I., Asudi, G., Niassy, S., Jalloh, A., Mutua, J., Chidawanyika, F., Khamis, F., Khan, Z., Subramanian, S., Dubois, T., & Mutyambai, D. (2024). Comparative microbiome diversity in root-nodules of three Desmodium species used in push-pull cropping system. Frontiers in Microbiology, 15 https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1395811