A new study published in Plant and Soil reveals a major advance in sustainable agriculture: a cross-kingdom synthetic microbial community (SynCom) composed of Trichoderma simile DT36 and four plant-growth-promoting bacteria dramatically boosts both Medicago sativa (alfalfa) productivity and soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in saline-alkaline soils.
Researchers constructed a bacterial SynCom containing Pseudomonas oryzihabitans, Enterobacter ludwigii, Brucella intermedia, and Bacillus LJIY_s, and then integrated Trichoderma simile DT36 to form a cross-kingdom SynCom (C-SynCom). Pot experiments showed that while the bacterial community alone enhanced plant biomass, SOC gains were limited. However, once Trichoderma was added, the consortium achieved remarkable dual benefits.
The C-SynCom increased alfalfa dry weight by 107.38% and SOC by 106.39% compared to untreated controls. This synergistic effect exceeded the combined average performance of individual strains, demonstrating true functional cooperation between bacteria and fungi. Notably, metagenomic analysis revealed that the C-SynCom-enriched microorganisms carried genes related to plant growth promotion, carbon cycling, and SOC stabilization—functions that were not as strongly activated by bacteria or Trichoderma alone.
Structural equation modeling further showed that inoculation richness (five-strain SynCom) was the strongest driver of plant productivity, whereas Trichoderma played a crucial direct and indirect role in carbon sequestration. The fungal component enhanced carbon-related functional genes and influenced microbial biomass carbon, a key SOC determinant.
Overall, this study highlights cross-kingdom SynComs as a powerful tool for restoring saline-alkaline lands by simultaneously improving crop productivity and building long-term soil carbon stocks. The findings provide a foundational step toward precision microbiome engineering for sustainable agriculture under stress-prone soil conditions.
Reference
Liu, W., Liu, R., Tang, Z. et al. Dual-beneficial synergistic Trichoderma-bacterial cross-kingdom SynCom facilitates Medicago sativa productivity and soil organic carbon sequestration in saline-alkaline soil. Plant Soil (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-08053-7
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