Integrated Microbiology and Metabolomics Analysis Reveal Responses of Soil Bacterial Communities and Metabolic Functions to N-Zn Co-Fertilization in the Rhizosphere of Tea Plants (<i>Camellia sinensis</i> L.)
The co-fertilization of nitrogen (N) and zinc (Zn) offers significant advantages in improving the growth and development of tea plants (<i>Camellia sinensis</i> L). However, the corresponding responses of rhizosphere microecology remain unclear. In this study, a pot experiment was perfor...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Plants |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/12/1811 |
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| Summary: | The co-fertilization of nitrogen (N) and zinc (Zn) offers significant advantages in improving the growth and development of tea plants (<i>Camellia sinensis</i> L). However, the corresponding responses of rhizosphere microecology remain unclear. In this study, a pot experiment was performed to investigate the effects of N-Zn co-fertilization on rhizosphere soil’s N availability, the rhizobacterial community and the metabolism of tea plants. N-Zn co-fertilization significantly increased the soil total of N, NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>-N and NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>-N contents. 16S rRNA sequencing found that N-Zn co-fertilization recruited rhizobacteria associated with N cycling and Zn activation, including <i>Proteobacteria</i>, <i>Acidobacteriota</i> and <i>Gemmatimonadota</i>, resulting in complex rhizobacterial networks. Metabolomics analysis indicated obvious interferences in the metabolisms of lipids, amino acids and cofactors and vitamins after fertilization. PLS-PM analysis suggested that fertilization had both direct and indirect influences on the rhizobacterial community and differential metabolites. RDA models identified pH (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.734, <i>p</i> < 0.01; R<sup>2</sup> = 0.808, <i>p</i> < 0.01) and total N (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.633, <i>p</i> < 0.05; R<sup>2</sup> = 0.608, <i>p</i> < 0.01) as dominant factors influencing both the rhizobacterial community and differential metabolites. Finally, network analysis found significant associations between rhizobacteria related to N cycling and Zn mobilization and metabolic processes involved in N metabolism and responses to Zn stress. These findings underscored that appropriate N-Zn co-fertilization is crucial for the rhizosphere soil’s N availability and the microenvironment of tea plants. |
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| ISSN: | 2223-7747 |