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This study investigates how biomass seedling trays influence the microbiome and plant growth in tomatoes.

May 15, 2026Open Access

Biomass Seedling Trays Drive Rhizosphere Microbiome Restructuring and PGPR Enrichment in Tomato

JZJie ZhangSouth China Agricultural University XZXiangyu ZhangAnhui Medical University QCQiang ChenSichuan Agricultural University

Key Points

This study investigates how biomass seedling trays influence the microbiome and plant growth in tomatoes.
Analyzed rhizosphere soil and substrates from tomatoes grown in biomass and plastic trays.
Combined culture-independent and culture-dependent techniques to assess microbial communities and screen PGPR.
Evaluated effects of the multifunctional strain S25095 on tomato growth compared to standard treatments.
Biomass trays enriched beneficial microbes like Trichoderma and Bacillus, enhancing microbial abundance and diversity.
pH and available nitrogen were significant factors in microbial community assembly.
The strain S25095 significantly improved shoot and root growth in tomatoes compared to synthetic consortia.

Abstract

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a globally important high-value cash crop. However, long-term continuous cropping causes frequent soil-borne diseases and soil microecological imbalance, while overreliance on chemical pesticides leads to pesticide residues and water eutrophication. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are key resources for addressing tomato cultivation challenges, with their functions partly depending on the rhizosphere microenvironment inherently shaped by seedling tray materials. Using rhizosphere soil and substrates of tomato at different growth stages under biomass (BM) and plastic (PM) seedling tray treatments, this study combined culture-independent and culture-dependent techniques to analyze microbial community characteristics and screen high-efficiency PGPR. Results showed that pH and available nitrogen drove microbial community assembly. BM significantly enriched beneficial taxa (e.g., Trichoderma and Bacillus) and enhanced culturable microbial abundance and genetic diversity, while PM enriched potential pathogens (e.g., Fusarium and Pyrenochaeta). The multifunctional strain S25095 from BM, with phosphate-solubilizing, potassium-solubilizing, and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)-producing abilities, significantly promoted tomato shoot and root growth, outperforming single-functional strains and synthetic consortia. This study reveals the effects of growth stages and seedling tray treatments on tomato rhizosphere microorganisms, providing valuable PGPR resources for tomato cultivation.

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