Corn hosts different bacterial neighborhoods on leaves, roots, and cobs
Sheoran N, Gogoi R, Venkadasamy G, Vijayan V, Kumar N
Soil Health
The soil microbes clustered around a corn root aren't the same ones covering the leaves or hiding inside the cob, and two of the leaf-dwelling bacteria found here can knock down fungal diseases by nearly half just through the compounds they release into the air.
Researchers looked at corn plants grown in different fields and asked which bacteria actually live in each part of the plant, the soil around the roots, the leaf surfaces, and the cob itself. They discovered each location has its own signature bacterial community, and some of these bacteria can be grown in the lab and tested directly. Two standout bacteria they found not only fight off common corn fungal diseases but also help the plant absorb nutrients like phosphorus and zinc, making them promising candidates for a natural, spray-on alternative to chemical fungicides.
Key Findings
Bacterial communities differed strongly by plant location (soil, roots, leaves, cob) but not by farming method or tillage system (ANOSIM R=0.038, p=0.306)
Pantoea dominated the leaf surface bacteriome (40.79% of total, 56.27% of culturable isolates) under monocropping, while Serratia dominated the cob (31.59% total, 59.40% culturable)
Two lab-grown isolates showed strong disease-fighting power: Pseudomonas oryzihabitans inhibited three major corn fungal pathogens by 40-45%, and Pantoea ananatis inhibited two pathogens by 52-68%, both also aiding nutrient uptake
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists mapped which bacteria live on and around maize plants, from soil to leaves to the cob, and found distinct bacterial neighborhoods in each spot. They isolated two bacterial strains that fight off major corn diseases and boost plant nutrition, offering a practical starting point for microbe-based crop protection.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Recurrent and niche-specific functional bacteriome of maize hybrid revealed by integrated metabarcoding and culturomics.
The plant microbiome plays a pivotal role in plant survival in natural habitats by facilitating nutrient acquisition, stress adaptation, and disease suppression, while also offering opportunities t...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
Was this useful?
Want to tell us more? (optional)
Thanks for the note!
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many submissions. Try again in an hour.
Gene editing removes 97% of celiac-triggering proteins from bread wheat
It could mean that people with celiac disease — roughly 1 in 100 worldwide — may one day safely eat bread made from real wheat, without sacrificing the taste...
Maize, also known as corn, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. The leafy stalk of the plant gives rise to male inflorescences or tassels which produce pollen, and female inflorescences called ears. The ears yield grain, known as kernels or seeds. In modern commercial varieties, thes...