Specific and conserved patterns of microbiota-structuring by maize benzoxazinoids in the field

Summary

This field study demonstrates that benzoxazinoid exudation by maize roots is a key trait structuring root and rhizosphere microbiota composition, with effects comparable to genetic background. Whilst BX-producing plants did not consistently enrich specific microbial lineages across environments, BX exudation consistently depleted certain bacterial families (Flavobacteriaceae and Comamonadaceae) and enriched potential plant pathogenic fungi. The findings suggest that the benzoxazinoid pathway is a potential breeding target for manipulating plant–microbiome interactions to improve crop health.

UK applicability

These findings are applicable to UK maize cultivation, as the study included European field sites with diverse soil conditions. The identification of BX exudation as a microbiota-structuring trait could inform UK plant breeding programmes and agronomic management strategies, though local soil microbial communities and climate differences may influence the reproducibility of specific microbial responses.

Key measures

Microbial community composition (bacterial and fungal) in roots and rhizosphere; relative abundance of specific bacterial taxa (Flavobacteriaceae, Comamonadaceae) and fungal lineages; effects stratified by genetic background, BX genotype, field location, and soil properties

Outcomes reported

The study measured how benzoxazinoid (BX) exudation by maize roots affects the composition of root-associated bacterial and fungal communities across multiple field locations and soil types. It compared microbiota composition between BX-producing and BX-defective maize lines in two genetic backgrounds across three European and North American field sites.

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