TY - JOUR A2 - Silva-Rocha, Rafael AU - Mareque, Cintia AU - da Silva, Thais Freitas AU - Vollú, Renata Estebanez AU - Beracochea, Martín AU - Seldin, Lucy AU - Battistoni, Federico PY - 2018 DA - 2018/09/30 TI - The Endophytic Bacterial Microbiota Associated with Sweet Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) Is Modulated by the Application of Chemical N Fertilizer to the Field SP - 7403670 VL - 2018 AB - Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is a multipurpose crop used as a feedstock to produce bioethanol, sugar, energy, and animal feed. However, it requires high levels of N fertilizer application to achieve the optimal growth, which causes environmental degradation. Bacterial endophytes, which live inside plant tissues, play a key role in the health and productivity of their host. This particular community may be influenced by different agronomical practices. The aim of the work was to evaluate the effects of N fertilization on the structure, diversity, abundance, and composition of endophytic and diazotrophic bacterial community associated with field-grown sweet sorghum. PCR-DGGE, quantitative PCR, and high-throughput sequencing were performed based on the amplification of rrs and nifH genes. The level of N fertilization affected the structure and abundance but not the diversity of the endophytic bacterial communities associated with sweet sorghum plants. This effect was pronounced in the roots of both bacterial communities analyzed and may depend on the physiological state of the plants. Specific bacterial classes and genera increased or decreased when the fertilizer was applied. The data obtained here contribute to a better understanding on the effects of agronomical practices on the microbiota associated with this important crop, with the aim to improve its sustainability. SN - 2314-436X UR - https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/7403670 DO - 10.1155/2018/7403670 JF - International Journal of Genomics PB - Hindawi KW - ER -