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Removal of soil biota alters soil feedback effects on plant growth and defense chemistry
Author(s) -
Wang Minggang,
Ruan Weibin,
Kostenko Olga,
Carvalho Sabrina,
Hannula S. Emilia,
Mulder Patrick P. J.,
Bu Fengjiao,
Putten Wim H.,
Bezemer T. Martijn
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/nph.15485
Subject(s) - biota , herbivore , soil biology , soil water , biomass (ecology) , botany , biology , agronomy , chemistry , ecology
Summary We examined how the removal of soil biota affects plant–soil feedback ( PSF ) and defense chemistry of Jacobaea vulgaris , an outbreak plant species in Europe containing the defense compounds pyrrolizidine alkaloids ( PA s). Macrofauna and mesofauna, as well as fungi and bacteria, were removed size selectively from unplanted soil or soil planted with J. vulgaris exposed or not to above‐ or belowground insect herbivores. Wet‐sieved fractions, using 1000‐, 20‐, 5‐ and 0.2‐μm mesh sizes, were added to sterilized soil and new plants were grown. Sieving treatments were verified by molecular analysis of the inocula. In the feedback phase, plant biomass was lowest in soils with 1000‐ and 20‐μm inocula, and soils conditioned with plants gave more negative feedback than without plants. Remarkably, part of this negative PSF effect remained present in the 0.2‐μm inoculum where no bacteria were present. PA concentration and composition of plants with 1000‐ or 20‐μm inocula differed from those with 5‐ or 0.2‐μm inocula, but only if soils had been conditioned by undamaged plants or plants damaged by aboveground herbivores. These effects correlated with leaf hyperspectral reflectance. We conclude that size‐selective removal of soil biota altered PSF s, but that these PSF s were also influenced by herbivory during the conditioning phase.