Summary
This field-based study demonstrates that benzoxazinoids, indole-derived defence compounds secreted by maize roots, act as a key structuring force for plant-associated microbiota—exerting effects comparable in magnitude to genetic background. Whilst BX exudation did not consistently enrich the same microbial lineages across environments, it consistently depleted certain bacterial families (Flavobacteriaceae, Comamonadaceae) and enriched putative plant pathogens in the root mycobiota, suggesting selective rather than general antimicrobial activity.
UK applicability
These findings are relevant to UK maize cultivation and breeding programmes seeking to optimise plant–microbiome interactions through targeted trait selection. However, field responses may differ under UK climatic and soil conditions; localised validation trials would strengthen applicability to UK farming contexts.
Key measures
Microbial community composition (bacteria and fungi) in roots and rhizosphere soil; relative abundance of specific bacterial families and fungal lineages; comparison across BX-producing versus BX-defective maize lines in two genetic backgrounds
Outcomes reported
The study quantified how benzoxazinoid (BX) exudation by maize roots affected the composition of root and rhizosphere microbial communities across multiple field sites and soil types. Analyses identified both consistent (Flavobacteriaceae and Comamonadaceae depletion, pathogenic fungal enrichment) and variable patterns of microbial response to BX secretion.
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