Summary
This controlled laboratory study examined the microbial ecology of Starbor kale in semi-hydroponic systems using 2D clinostats to simulate microgravity, with metagenomic profiling of coco coir and root microbiota. The results demonstrate that gravity conditions and growing medium substrate influence bacterial community structure, with coco coir harbouring higher bacterial abundance than roots, and specific phyla and functional gene classes showing differential distribution across gravity treatments. The findings contribute to understanding microbiota assembly in advanced vegetable production systems relevant to food security under climate change.
Regional applicability
The study was conducted in a controlled laboratory environment (CONVIRON growth chamber) and does not specify a geographic location; applicability to United Kingdom horticultural practice would depend on whether semi-hydroponic, clinostat-based kale production becomes operationally feasible at scale, which currently remains experimental. The microbial ecology insights may inform biofortification or pathogen-management strategies in future controlled-environment agriculture systems deployed in the UK.
Key measures
Bacterial and archaeal community composition (16S/18S rRNA); relative abundance of Pseudomonadota and Actinomycetota phyla; biomarker abundance (28 in horizontal clinostats); glycosyl transferase classes (GT2, GT4); carbohydrate-active enzymes (glycoside hydrolases, carbohydrate esterases, carbohydrate-binding modules, polysaccharide lyases); antibiotic resistance genes (adeF, vanY, vanT, qacG); shotgun metagenomic sequencing data
Outcomes reported
The study characterised the microbial community composition in coco coir and root samples of Starbor kale grown in semi-hydroponic clinostat systems under normal gravity and simulated microgravity using shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Key findings included differential bacterial abundance between growing medium and roots, phylum-level differences across gravity treatments, and carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme) distribution patterns.
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