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Poster

Session: Session 2 Presenting Authors at Posters (Evens)

P-340 - Genetic and microbial determinants of differential responses to soil inoculants in 128 accessions of Lactuca sativa

Thursday, July 17, 2025
13:30 - 15:15  
Location: Confex Hall 3
Plant microbiota functions and intermicrobial interactions

Microbial-based inoculants have been proposed as a possible solution to decrease the use of chemical fertilizers in agriculture. Among these, the most promising candidates are arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), with their ability to extend the root surface involved in phosphate absorption, and phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB), but their effectiveness has been shown to depend on plant genetic diversity.

With the aim of identifying genetic markers explaining plant differential responses to soil-beneficial microbes, we monitored a panel of 128 fully sequenced varieties of Lactuca sativa in a controlled condition of phosphate starvation, treated with AMF and PSB. 

Results showed a strong effect of the lettuce genetic variation on the plant's physiological and morphological response to the inoculum. Through genome-wide association (GWA), we identified specific genetic regions associated with variations in leaf phosphate content and shoot biomass in response to the treatment. Root-associated microbial communities were found to influence plant nutrition, with greater bacterial alpha-diversity correlating with increased leaf phosphate levels and shoot biomass. Among ASVs linked to enhanced leaf phosphate, one from the Burkholderiales order showed a positive correlation with Glomeromycota abundance.

In conclusion, we have highlighted key genetic and physiological mechanisms that could play a crucial role in enhancing microbial treatments for improving plant phosphate management.