Seasonal Nutrient Cycling and Enrichment of Nutrient-Related Soil Microbes Aid in the Adaptation of Ramie (Boehmeria nivea L.) to Nutrient-Deficient Conditions

Abstract

The breeding for varieties tolerant of adverse growing conditions is critical for sustainable agriculture, especially for ramie (Boehmeria nivea L.). However, a lack of information on the tolerance of ramie to nutrient-deficient conditions has hindered efforts to breed ramie varieties tolerant of such conditions. The main objective of this study was to explore the tolerance strategies of ramie plants under poor soil conditions using long-term (8–9 years) field trials. Genotypes of Duobeiti 1 and Xiangzhu XB were highly tolerant of poor soil conditions. The contributions of seasonal nutrient cycling and rhizobacteria to the ability of ramie to tolerate poor soil were tested. Nitrogen and phosphorus retranslocation to the root at the end of the growing season helped ramie adapt to poor soil conditions. The contribution of the microbial community was analyzed using high-throughput Illumina MiSeq sequencing technology. The enrichment of beneficial bacteria (mainly Bradyrhizobium, Gaiella, and norank_o_Gaiellales) and the reduction of harmful fungi (mainly Cladosporium and Aspergillus) also contributed to the ability of ramie to tolerate poor soils. The results of this study provide new insight into the ability of ramie to tolerate adverse conditions and aid future efforts to breed and cultivate ramie tolerant of adverse conditions.