Cover Crop Root Channels Promote Bacterial Adaptation to Drought in the Maize Rhizosphere.

ABSTRACT: Increasing drought frequency poses a significant threat to agricultural productivity. A promising strategy to enhance crop resilience against drought is the utilisation of root channels left by winter cover crops, which can improve access to subsoil water and nutrients for subsequent cash crops like maize (Zea mays L.). The impact of drought on bacterial communities inhabiting these root channels remains largely unknown. Here, we investigated drought-induced shifts in maize rhizosphere bacterial communities and their functional adaptation in cover crop root channels across three soil types in northern Germany (Luvisol, Podzol, and Phaeozem) using a multi-omics approach (16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, qPCR, and metaproteomics). Our results reveal a preference towards bacterial K-strateg

SUBMITTER: Ghosh D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12450045 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature