Complex microbial consortia improve yield and physiological performance of leafy greens under deficit irrigation

作者：Anna Edlund, Virginie Boreux, Abhinav Grama, Josh L. Espinoza, Shib Sankar Basu, Jamison McCorrison, Jack A Gilbert, Thomas W. Crowther · 发表于：bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.64898/2026.04.05.716566 · 被引用次数：1 · 研究领域：Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity、Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions、Plant Stress Responses and Tolerance

Abstract Water scarcity is an increasing constraint on agricultural productivity, particularly for high-value vegetable crops. Deficit irrigation strategies can reduce water use but frequently compromise yield and crop physiological status. Scalable, biologically based tools are needed to sustain crop performance under reduced water input without reliance on additional agrochemical inputs. Five functionally diverse microbial consortia were assembled from taxa selected to support rhizosphere colonization, soil structural stabilization, and fungal-mediated nutrient and water foraging. Consortia were evaluated in greenhouse trials with lettuce ( Lactuca sativa ) and spinach ( Spinacia oleracea ) grown under full irrigation or a 30% deficit irrigation regime (70% of crop water requirement). Crop responses were assessed using yield, harvest delay, root length, wilting incidence, chlorophyll content, and Water Band Index. Across both crops, microbial consortium treatments improved performance under deficit irrigation relative to untreated water-stressed controls. In lettuce, yield increased by 3–9%; in spinach, yield increased by 4–13%, with several treatments restoring performance to levels not significantly different from fully irrigated controls. Microbial treatments reduced harvest delay by an average of three to four days, improved root length, lowered wilting incidence, and reduced WBI, indicating attenuation of plant water stress. In several cases, physiological responses un...