Suppression treatment differentially influences the microbial community and the occurrence of broad host range plasmids in the rhizosphere of the model cover crop Avena sativa L.

Cover crop suppression with glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) represents a common agricultural practice. The objective of this study was to compare rhizospheric microbial communities of A. sativa plants treated with a GBH relative to the mechanical suppression (mowing) in order to assess their differences and the potential implications for soil processes. Samples were obtained at 4, 10, 17 and 26 days post-suppression. Soil catabolic profiling and DNA-based methods were applied. At 26 days, higher respiration responses and functional diversity indices (Shannon index and catabolic evenness) were observed under glyphosate suppression and a neat separation of catabolic profiles was detected in multivariate analysis. Sarcosine and Tween 20 showed the highest contribution to this separation. Metabarcoding revealed a non-significant effect of suppression method on either alpha-diversity metrics or beta-diversity. Conversely, differences were detected in the relative abundance of specific bacterial taxa. Mesorhizobium sequences were detected in higher relative abundance in glyphosate-treated plants at the end of the experiment while the opposite trend was observed for Gaiella. Quantitative PCR of amoA gene from ammonia-oxidizing archaea showed a lower abundance under GBH suppression again at 26 days, while ammonia-oxidizing bacteria remained lower at all sampling times. Broad host range plasmids IncP-1ß and IncP-1ε were exclusively detected in the rhizosphere of glyphosate-treated plants at 10 days and at 26 days, respectively. Overall, our study demonstrates differential effects of suppression methods on the abundance of specific bacterial taxa, on the physiology and mobile genetic elements of microbial communities while no differences were detected in taxonomic diversity.

Ecotoxicological assessment of soil microbial community tolerance to glyphosate.

Glyphosate is the most used herbicide worldwide. While contrasting results have been observed related with its impact on soil microbial communities, more studies are necessary to elucidate the potential effects of the herbicide. Differences in tolerance detected by Pollution Induced Community Tolerance (PICT) approach could reflect these effects. The objective of the present study was to assess the tolerance to glyphosate (the active ingredient and a commercial formulation) of contrasting soils with (H) and without (NH) history of exposure. The hypothesis of a higher tolerance in H soils due to a sustained selection pressure on community structure was tested through the PICT approach. Results indicated that tolerance to glyphosate is not consistent with previous history of exposure to the herbicide either for the active ingredient or for a commercial formulation. Soils of H and NH sites were also characterized in order to determine to what extent they differ in their functional diversity and structure of microbial communities. Denaturant Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) and Quantitative Real Time PCR (Q-PCR) indicated high similarity of Eubacteria profiles as well as no significant differences in abundance, respectively, between H and NH sites. Community level physiological profiling (CLPP) indicated some differences in respiration of specific sources but functional diversity was very similar as reflected by catabolic evenness (E). These results support PICT assay, which ideally requires soils with differences in their exposure to the contaminant but minor differences in other characteristics. This is, to our knowledge, the first report of PICT approach with glyphosate examining tolerance at soil microbial community level.