Long‐term tropospheric ozone pollution disrupts plant‐microbe‐soil interactions in the agroecosystem
Kaile Zhang, Rodolfo Zentella, Kent O. Burkey, Hui‐ling Liao, Ripley H. Tisdale
Abstract
Abstract Tropospheric ozone (O 3 ) threatens agroecosystems, yet its long‐term effects on intricate plant‐microbe‐soil interactions remain overlooked. This study employed two soybean genotypes of contrasting O 3 ‐sensitivity grown in field plots exposed elevated O 3 (eO 3 ) and evaluated cause‐effect relationships with their associated soil microbiomes and soil quality. Results revealed long‐term eO 3 effects on belowground soil microbiomes and soil health surpass damage visible on plants. Elevated O 3 significantly disrupted belowground bacteria‐fungi interactions, reduced fungal diversity, and altered fungal community assembly by impacting soybean physiological properties. Particularly, eO 3 impacts on plant performance were significantly associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, undermining their contribution to plants, whereas eO 3 increased fungal saprotroph proliferation, accelerating soil organic matter decomposition and soil carbon pool depletion. Free‐living diazotrophs exhibited remarkable acclimation under eO 3 , improving plant performance by enhancing nitrogen fixation. However, overarching detrimental consequences of eO 3 negated this benefit. Overall, this study demonstrated long‐term eO 3 profoundly governed negative impacts on plant‐soil‐microbiota interactions, pointing to a potential crisis for agroecosystems. These findings highlight urgent needs to develop adaptive strategies to navigate future eO 3 scenarios.