@article{pérez‐sepúlveda_jones_higuita‐aguirre_holdstock_kafle_cardoso_vann_mullen_garcia_2025, title={Nodulation Is Maintained and Salinity Tolerance Enhanced in Two Soybean Cultivars Inoculated With <scp> <i>Sinorhizobium fredii</i> </scp> Under Brackish Water}, volume={177}, url={https://doi.org/10.1111/ppl.70570}, DOI={10.1111/ppl.70570}, abstractNote={ABSTRACT Salinity is an increasing threat to agriculture, particularly in coastal regions affected by seawater intrusion and sea‐level rise. This study evaluated the halotolerance and symbiotic potential of Sinorhizobium fredii USDA 208 in two soybean cultivars (includer and excluder) under three salinity levels—low (freshwater), moderate (brackish water), and high (seawater). The results demonstrated that S. fredii not only tolerates but also exhibits enhanced growth under moderate salinity. Nodulation was successfully established when salinity and inoculation occurred simultaneously. Nodulation was also maintained when salinity occurred after the inoculation, particularly in fresh and brackish water. Root development declined with increasing salinity, but the includer cultivar showed better root system architecture plasticity in brackish water, while the excluder cultivar exhibited higher shoot and root biomass across salinity levels. Bacterial inoculation improved shoot phosphorus uptake, the potassium: sodium ratio, and carotenoid retention, particularly in the includer cultivar, suggesting an enhanced physiological tolerance to moderate salinity. Inoculation also resulted in higher shoot nitrogen and maintained pigment content. Using a seawater recipe provides a better understanding of salinity than traditional NaCl‐based studies and highlights the role of S. fredii USDA 208 in supporting soybean performance when salts accumulate in coastal agricultural soils.}, number={5}, journal={Physiologia Plantarum}, author={Pérez‐Sepúlveda, Mariela and Jones, Alena P. and Higuita‐Aguirre, Maria I. and Holdstock, Amelia and Kafle, Arjun and Cardoso, Amanda A. and Vann, Rachel and Mullen, Michael D. and Garcia, Kevin}, year={2025}, month={Sep} }
 @article{rose_dellinger_larmour_polishook_higuita‐aguirre_dutta_cook_zimmermann_garcia_2024, title={The ectomycorrhizal fungus <i>Paxillus ammoniavirescens</i> influences the effects of salinity on loblolly pine in response to potassium availability}, volume={26}, url={https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.16597}, DOI={10.1111/1462-2920.16597}, abstractNote={Salinity is an increasing problem in coastal areas affected by saltwater intrusion, with deleterious effects on tree health and forest growth. Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi may improve the salinity tolerance of host trees, but the impact of external potassium (K<sup>+</sup> ) availability on these effects is still unclear. Here, we performed several experiments with the ECM fungus Paxillus ammoniavirescens and loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) in axenic and symbiotic conditions at limited or sufficient K<sup>+</sup> and increasing sodium (Na<sup>+</sup> ) concentrations. Growth rate, biomass, nutrient content, and K<sup>+</sup> transporter expression levels were recorded for the fungus, and the colonization rate, root development parameters, biomass, and shoot nutrient accumulation were determined for mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants. P. ammoniavirescens was tolerant to high salinity, although growth and nutrient concentrations varied with K<sup>+</sup> availability and increasing Na<sup>+</sup> exposure. While loblolly pine root growth and development decreased with increasing salinity, ECM colonization was unaffected by pine response to salinity. The mycorrhizal influence on loblolly pine salinity response was strongly dependent on external K<sup>+</sup> availability. This study reveals that P. ammoniavirescens can reduce Na<sup>+</sup> accumulation of salt-exposed loblolly pine, but this effect depends on external K<sup>+</sup> availability.}, number={3}, journal={Environmental Microbiology}, author={Rose, Benjamin D. and Dellinger, Marissa A. and Larmour, Clancy P. and Polishook, Mira I. and Higuita‐Aguirre, Maria I. and Dutta, Summi and Cook, Rachel L. and Zimmermann, Sabine D. and Garcia, Kevin}, year={2024}, month={Mar} }