Do water regimes affect iron‐plaque formation and microbial communities in the rhizosphere of paddy rice?

Pot experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of soil water regimes on the formation of iron (Fe) plaque on the root surface of rice seedlings ( Oryza sativa L.) and on the microbial functional diversity in a paddy soil. The rice seedlings were subjected to three moisture regimes (submergence, 100%, and 60% water‐holding capacity [WHC]), and were grown for 5 and 11 weeks. Aerobic lithotrophic Fe(II)‐oxidizing (FeOB) and acetate‐utilizing Fe(III)‐reducing bacteria (FeRB) in the rhizosphere and non‐rhizosphere soil were determined at 5 weeks using the most probable number (MPN) method. The carbon substrate use patterns of the microbial communities in the rhizosphere and non‐rhizosphere soil samples were determined at 11 weeks using Biolog‐GN2 plates. The amount of Fe plaque (per unit dry root weight) was much higher under submerged conditions than at lower soil moisture contents and decreased with plant age. There was a positive correlation between the amount of Fe plaque and phosphorus accumulated in the Fe plaque at both sampling times (r = 0.98 and 0.92, respectively, n = 12). Numbers of FeOB and FeRB in the submerged soil were lower than in aerobic soil, but by two orders of magnitude higher in the rhizosphere than in the bulk soil. On the other hand, the functional diversity of the rhizosphere microbial communities was much higher than that of the non‐rhizosphere soil, irrespective of soil water regimes. We conclude that soil flooding results in a decreased number and diversity of Fe‐oxidizing/reducing bacteria, while increasing the Fe‐plaque formation.