Rooting for Microbes: Impacts of Plant Breeding on the Kernza Rhizosphere

Rooting for Microbes: Impacts of Plant Breeding on the Kernza Rhizosphere | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Rooting for Microbes: Impacts of Plant Breeding on the Kernza Rhizosphere Hannah Rodgers, Urszula Norton, Jay Norton, Linda van Diepen This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6481594/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 10 Oct, 2025 Read the published version in Plant and Soil → Version 1 posted 6 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Aims Kernza ( Thinopyrum intermedium) is among the first perennial grain crops ever bred and has the potential to address challenges associated with annual agriculture, in part due to its robust microbial partnerships and soil health benefits. However, breeding programs generally select plants based on aboveground traits such as seed size, resulting in unintended consequences on belowground traits such as root exudation and microbial symbioses. This study aimed to investigate the impact of plant breeding on the rhizosphere environment and microbial community of the novel grain crop Kernza. Methods This study is the first to investigate a crop’s rhizosphere environment across breeding cycles, starting with a wild-type population. We collected rhizosphere soil from Kernza plants across nine cycles of selection for increased yield and harvestability, and analyzed labile organic matter pools, potential enzyme activities, phospholipid fatty acids, and DNA from bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Results We found that plant breeding altered bacterial and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in the rhizosphere. Selection also reduced rhizosphere labile organic matter and microbial biomass, but not microbial activity, which instead increased across later breeding cycles. Conclusions Our results suggest that the Kernza breeding program created a less abundant but more active rhizosphere microbial community, potentially due to impacts on plants’ stress tolerance, resource allocation, or resource-use strategies. arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) perennial grain plant-microbe interactions rhizosphere soil health soil microbiome Full Text Supplementary Files SupplementaryFiguresandTables.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 10 Oct, 2025 Read the published version in Plant and Soil → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Major revisions 30 May, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 28 Apr, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 25 Apr, 2025 Editor invited by journal 21 Apr, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 20 Apr, 2025 First submitted to journal 18 Apr, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6481594","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":447954444,"identity":"a86f1bac-7363-4946-9315-422f8481cdbe","order_by":0,"name":"Hannah 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We collected rhizosphere soil from Kernza plants across nine cycles of selection for increased yield and harvestability, and analyzed labile organic matter pools, potential enzyme activities, phospholipid fatty acids, and DNA from bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe found that plant breeding altered bacterial and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in the rhizosphere. 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