Non-native Brachiaria humidicola with biological nitrification inhibition capacity stimulates in situ grassland N2O emissions

Biological mitigation of soil nitrous oxide emissions by plant metabolites

Plant metabolites significantly affect soil nitrogen (N) cycling, but their influence on nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions has not been quantitatively analyzed on a global scale. We conduct a comprehensive meta-analysis of 173 observations from 42 articles to evaluate global patterns of and principal factors controlling N2O emissions in the presence of root exudates and extracts. Overall, plant metabolites promoted soil N2O emissions by about 10%. However, the effects of plant metabolites on N2O emissions from soils varied with experimental conditions and properties of both metabolites and soils. Primary metabolites, such as sugars, amino acids, and organic acids, strongly stimulated soil N2O emissions, by an average of 79%, while secondary metabolites, such as phenolics, terpenoids, and flavonoids, often characterized as both biological nitrification inhibitors (BNIs) and biological denitrification inhibitors (BDIs), reduced soil N2O emissions by an average of 41%. The emission mitigation effects of BNIs/BDIs were closely associated with soil texture and pH, increasing with increasing soil clay content and soil pH on acidic and neutral soils, and with decreasing soil pH on alkaline soils. We furthermore present soil incubation experiments that show that three secondary metabolite types act as BNIs to reduce N2O emissions by 32%-45%, while three primary metabolite classes possess a stimulatory effect of 56%-63%, confirming the results of the meta-analysis. Our results highlight the potential role and application range of specific secondary metabolites in biomitigation of global N2O emissions and provide new biological parameters for N2O emission models that should help improve the accuracy of model predictions.

Nitrogen-loss and carbon-footprint reduction by plant-rhizosphere exudates

Low-carbon approaches to agriculture constitute a pivotal measure to address the challenge of global climate change. In agroecosystems, rhizosphere exudates are significantly involved in regulating the nitrogen (N) cycle and facilitating belowground chemical communication between plants and soil microbes to reduce direct and indirect emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and control N runoff from cultivated sites into natural water bodies. Here, we discuss specific rhizosphere exudates from plants and microorganisms and the mechanisms by which they reduce N loss and subsequent N pollution in terrestrial and aquatic environments, including biological nitrification inhibitors (BNIs), biological denitrification inhibitors (BDIs), and biological denitrification promoters (BDPs). We also highlight promising application scenarios and challenges in relation to rhizosphere exudates in terrestrial and aquatic environments.

Microbial pathways of nitrous oxide emissions and mitigation approaches in drylands

Drylands refer to water scarcity and low nutrient levels, and their plant and biocrust distribution is highly diverse, making the microbial processes that shape dryland functionality particularly unique compared to other ecosystems. Drylands are constraint for sustainable agriculture and risk for food security, and expected to increase over time. Nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas with ozone reduction potential, is significantly influenced by microbial communities in drylands. However, our understanding of the biological mechanisms and processes behind N2O emissions in these areas is limited, despite the fact that they highly account for total gaseous nitrogen (N) emissions on Earth. This review aims to illustrate the important biological pathways and microbial players that regulate N2O emissions in drylands, and explores how these pathways might be influenced by global changes for example N deposition, extreme weather events, and climate warming. Additionally, we propose a theoretical framework for manipulating the dryland microbial community to effectively reduce N2O emissions using evolving techniques that offer inordinate specificity and efficacy. By combining expertise from different disciplines, these exertions will facilitate the advancement of innovative and environmentally friendly microbiome-based solutions for future climate change vindication approaches.