Plant growth rate and nitrogen uptake shape rhizosphere bacterial community composition and activity in an agricultural field

Plant-microbial interactions in the rhizosphere are an essential link in soil nitrogen (N) cycling and plant N supply. Plant phenotype and genotype interact with the soil environment to determine rhizosphere community structure and activity. However, the relative contributions of plant identity, phenology and soil resource availability in shaping rhizosphere effects are not well understood. Four summer annuals and a collection of maize hybrids were grown in a common garden experiment conducted at two levels of organic nutrient availability. Plant biomass, N accumulation, rhizosphere bacterial community composition, and rhizosphere potential extracellular enzyme activity were assessed at vegetative, flowering and grain-filling stages of maize. Plant N uptake was strongly coupled with protease activity in the rhizosphere. Temporal trends in rhizosphere community composition varied between plant species. Changes in rhizosphere community composition could be explained by variation in plant growth dynamics. These findings indicate that species-level variation in plant growth dynamics and resource acquisition drive variation in rhizosphere bacterial community composition and activity linked to plant N uptake.