Performance and microbiota of Lupinus polyphyllus for Plant and Soil

<p><strong><i>Purpose</i></strong>: In cold climates, glyphosate residues may linger in soils, with effects on plant-microbe interactions and, consequently, plant performance. Here, we explore the influence of glyphosate residues on the endophytic microbiota (bacteria and fungi) and performance of the perennial nitrogen-fixing weed <i>Lupinus polyphyllus</i>.</p> <p><strong><i>Methods</i></strong>:<b> </b>In a common garden, we grew plants from six populations of <i>L. polyphyllus</i> in glyphosate-treated or untreated control soils, with or without additional phosphorus. We sampled plant microbiota (leaves, roots, nodules) and assessed plant performance based on six traits: height, retrogression probability (i.e. shrinkage), biomass, root:shoot ratio, nodule number, and nodule viability.</p> <p><strong><i>Results</i></strong>: The richness of plant endophytic microbial communities was determined by soil phosphorus level rather than by glyphosate treatment. However, for bacteria, the composition of these communities differed between glyphosate-treated and control soils across plant tissue types; no difference was observed for fungi. The plant bacterial communities in both soil types were dominated by potential nitrogen-fixing bacteria belonging to family Bradyrhizobiaceae, and particularly so in glyphosate-treated soils. Overall, though, these changes in plant bacterial communities had a minor effect on plant performance: the only difference we detected was that the probability of retrogression was occasionally higher in glyphosate-treated soils than in control soils.</p> <p><strong><i>Conclusion</i></strong>: Our findings indicate that glyphosate-based herbicides, when applied at the recommended frequency and concentration, may not have critical effects on the growth of short-lived weeds after the safety period has passed; however, the endophytic microbiota of such weeds may experience longer-lasting shifts in community structure.</p>