plant-microbe interactions – Page 2

Halotolerant Endophytic Fungi: Diversity, Host Plants, and Mechanisms in Plant Salt–Alkali Stress Alleviation

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Salty and alkaline soil is destroying farmland worldwide, but special fungi living inside plants can help crops survive these harsh conditions. These fungi work like a team with plants, producing protective substances and helping plants manage salt and reduce damage from stress. Scientists reviewed 150 studies and found these fungi boost crop yields by 15-40%, offering a natural way to farm on degraded land without more chemicals.

Exo-metabolome profiling of soybean endophytes: a road map of antagonism against Fusarium oxysporum

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Scientists discovered that certain beneficial bacteria living inside soybean roots can protect the plant from a harmful fungus that causes root rot and reduces crop yield. By analyzing the chemical compounds these bacteria produce, researchers identified specific antifungal substances that kill or inhibit the pathogenic fungus. These findings suggest that instead of using harmful chemical fungicides, farmers could use these beneficial bacteria as a natural, environmentally-friendly way to protect soybean crops and improve agricultural sustainability.

Genomic Insights into Vaccinium spp. Endophytes B. halotolerans and B. velezensis and Their Antimicrobial Potential

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Scientists discovered that wild berries like blueberries, cranberries, and lingonberries contain beneficial bacteria that can fight harmful fungi and bacteria. These bacteria produce natural antimicrobial compounds similar to how antibiotics work, making them promising candidates for protecting crops without chemical pesticides. The bacteria also help plants absorb nutrients and cope with stress, offering multiple benefits for sustainable agriculture.

Melatonin-Producing Microorganisms: A Rising Research Interest in Their Melatonin Biosynthesis and Effects on Crops

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Scientists are discovering that certain microorganisms like yeast, algae, and bacteria naturally produce melatonin, the same molecule that helps humans sleep. These melatonin-producing microbes could help farmers grow healthier crops by sharing their melatonin with plants and protecting them from stress like drought and disease. This discovery offers an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic melatonin and could make agriculture more sustainable as climate change poses increasing challenges.

A simple protocol for producing axenic seeds of Sorghum bicolor

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Researchers developed a simple method to sterilize sorghum seeds by treating them with ethanol and bleach, which removes contaminating microbes while keeping seeds alive and able to grow. This approach is inexpensive, requires no special equipment, and is useful for scientists studying how microbes interact with plants. The method successfully eliminated harmful microbes from 98% of seeds tested while maintaining a reasonable germination rate of 63%.

Plant species and soil moisture shape rhizosphere microbiota in an unusually productive tundra ecosystem of North Greenland

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In one of Earth’s most extreme environments—North Greenland’s Arctic tundra—scientists discovered that water availability and plant types strongly influence the invisible microbial communities living in soil around plant roots. Using advanced genetic sequencing, they found that different plants host distinct communities of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms, with fungi showing the strongest plant-specific associations. These findings help us understand how Arctic ecosystems function and may adapt to climate change.

Alliance Between Conifer Trees and Endophytic Fungi Against Insect Defoliators

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Researchers discovered that helpful fungi living inside white spruce needles protect the trees from damaging budworm insects. These fungi work in two ways: they directly poison the insects that try to eat the needles, and they also encourage the trees to produce more of their own chemical defenses. This partnership between fungi and trees demonstrates an important co-evolutionary relationship where all three organisms—fungi, trees, and insects—influence each other over time.

Bacillus subtilis Strain TCX1 Isolated from Ambrosia artemisiifolia: Enhancing Cucumber Growth and Biocontrol Against Cucumber Fusarium Wilt

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Scientists discovered a beneficial bacterium called Bacillus subtilis strain TCX1 that can protect cucumber plants from a devastating fungal disease called Fusarium wilt. This bacterium both kills the fungus directly through special compounds it produces and strengthens the plant’s natural immune system. Additionally, the bacterium helps cucumber plants grow better by producing growth hormones and improving nutrient absorption, making it a promising natural solution for farmers.

Exploring Fungal Communication Mechanisms in the Rhizosphere Microbiome for a Sustainable Green Agriculture

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Fungi in soil communicate with each other and plants through chemical signals, forming protective layers called biofilms that help them cooperate and survive. These fungal communication networks can be either beneficial, helping plants grow and fight diseases, or harmful, causing crop infections and producing toxins. By better understanding how fungi talk to each other, scientists can develop natural ways to improve agriculture and clean up polluted soils without using harmful chemicals.

Composition and Biodiversity of Culturable Endophytic Fungi in the Roots of Alpine Medicinal Plants in Xinjiang, China

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Scientists studied special fungi that live inside the roots of two rare alpine medicinal plants found in China’s high mountains. They discovered that these plants host over 400 different types of fungi, including a special type called dark septate fungi that make up about half of all the fungi found. Different plant species and different mountain locations had different combinations of fungi, suggesting these fungi help the plants survive in the harsh, cold mountain environment.

Research Keyword: plant-microbe interactions