| Abstract: | The actinomycete Streptomyces lydicus A_(01) promotes tomato seedling growth; however, the underlying mechanism is unclear. In this study, we investigated whether changes in soil microbial diversity, following Streptomyces lydicus A_(01) treatment, were responsible for the increased tomato seedling growth. Eukaryotic 18 S ribosomal DNA(rDNA) sequencing showed that S. lydicus A_(01)-treated and untreated soil shared 193 operational taxonomic units(OTUs), whereas bacterial 16 S rDNA sequencing identified 1,219 shared OTUs between the treated and untreated soil. Of the 42 dominant eukaryotic OTUs, eight were significantly increased and six were significantly decreased after A_(01) treatment. Of the 25 dominant bacterial OTUs, 12 were significantly increased and eight were significantly decreased after A_(01) treatment.Most of the eukaryotes and bacteria that increased in abundance exhibited growth promoting characteristics,which were mainly predicted to be associated with mineralization of nitrogen and phosphorus, phosphate solubilization, nutrient accumulation, and secretion of auxin, whereas some were related to plant protection,such as the degradation of toxic and hazardous substances. Soil composition tests showed that S. lydicus A_(01) treatment enhanced the utilization of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in tomato seedlings. Thus, microbial fertilizers based on S. lydicus A_(01) may improve plant growth, without the detriment effects of chemical fertilizers. |
