AUTHOR=Rigobelo Everlon Cid , de Andrade Luana Alves , Santos Carlos Henrique Barbosa , Frezarin Edvan Teciano , Sales Luziane Ramos , de Carvalho Lucas Amoroso Lopes , Guariz Pinheiro Daniel , Nicodemo Daniel , Babalola Olubukola Oluranti , Verdi Maria Caroline Quecine , Mondin Mateus , Desoignies Nicolas 

TITLE=Effects of Trichoderma harzianum and Bacillus subtilis on the root and soil microbiomes of the soybean plant INTACTA RR2 PRO™

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2024.1403160

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2024.1403160

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>Soybean is a significant export product for several countries, including the United States and Brazil. There are numerous varieties of soybean. Among them, a genetically modified type known as INTACTA RR2 PRO™ has been designed to demonstrate resistance to glyphosate and to produce toxins that are lethal to several species of caterpillars. Limited information is available on the use of <italic>Trichoderma harzianum</italic> and <italic>Bacillus subtilis</italic> to promote plant growth and their impact on the plant microbiome.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>This study aimed to evaluate the effects of these microorganisms on this soybean cultivar by analyzing parameters, such as root and shoot dry matter, nutritional status, and root and soil microbial diversity.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>The results indicated that treatments with <italic>B. subtilis</italic> alone or in combination with <italic>T. harzianum</italic> as seed or seed and soil applications significantly enhanced plant height and biomass compared to the other treatments and the control. No significant differences in phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations were detected across treatments, although some treatments showed close correlations with these nutrients. Microbial inoculations slightly influenced the soil and root microbiomes, with significant beta diversity differences between soil and root environments, but had a limited overall impact on community composition.</p></sec><sec><title>Discussion</title><p>The combined application of <italic>B. subtilis</italic> and <italic>T. harzianum</italic> particularly enhanced plant growth and promoted plant-associated microbial groups, such as Rhizobiaceae, optimizing plant-microbe interactions. Furthermore, the treatments resulted in a slight reduction in fungal richness and diversity.</p></sec>