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Bacillus subtilis can modulate the growth and root architecture in soybean through volatile organic compounds

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Abstract

Bacillus subtilis colonizes rhizosphere of plants and releases some volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can modulate the growth and root architecture in several plants. However, the influence of VOCs on growth and root architecture in soybean remains unknown. In this study, we hypothesized that VOCs would enhance the growth of soybean and change its root architecture. Thus, experiments under growth chamber were carried out to investigate the effect of VOCs released by B. subtilis AP-3 on growth and root architecture of soybean (control and plants exposed to VOCs) and eight replicates. Plant growth and root architecture parameters in soybean were measured 20 days after soybean emergence. Soybean exposed to microbial VOCs displayed significant increase in plant biomass (88% and 18% for shoot and roots, respectively) than the control. Microbial VOCs changed the root architecture of soybean that exhibited roots with higher length, diameter, surface area, and volume. The principal component analysis differentiated plants exposed to VOCs from those plants without exposure. The findings from this study are important since the modulation of root architecture can improve the absorption of water and nutrients from the soil.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo – FAPESP (Grant 2013/20328-0) for providing financial support. Lorrayne G. Bavaresco thanks to Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior – CAPES for her scolarship. Ademir S. F. Araujo thanks to Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico – CNPq (Grant 305069/2018-7) for his fellowship of Productivity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidade do Oeste Paulista (UNOESTE), Presidente Prudente, SP, Brazil

    Lorrayne Guimarães Bavaresco, Lucas Prado Osco & Fábio Fernando Araújo

  2. Laboratory of Soil Quality, Center of Agricultural Science, Federal University of Piauí (UFPI), Teresina, PI, Brazil

    Ademir Sergio Ferreira Araujo

  3. Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Piracicaba, SP, Brazil

    Lucas William Mendes

  4. Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Center of Natural Science, UFPI, Teresina, PI, Brazil

    Aurenivia Bonifacio

Authors
  1. Lorrayne Guimarães Bavaresco
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  2. Lucas Prado Osco
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  3. Ademir Sergio Ferreira Araujo
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  4. Lucas William Mendes
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  5. Aurenivia Bonifacio
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  6. Fábio Fernando Araújo
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Contributions

LGB and LPO carried out the experiments; FFA and LPO designed the experiments; LPO, ASFA, LWM, AA and FFA analyzed data, discussed results and wrote the paper.

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Correspondence to Ademir Sergio Ferreira Araujo.

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Bavaresco, L.G., Osco, L.P., Araujo, A.S.F. et al. Bacillus subtilis can modulate the growth and root architecture in soybean through volatile organic compounds. Theor. Exp. Plant Physiol. 32, 99–108 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40626-020-00173-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40626-020-00173-y

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