Impact of Rhizobium Tropici Produced EPS on Arabidopsis Thaliana Growth
Impact of Rhizobium Tropici Produced EPS on Arabidopsis Thaliana Growth
Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) from Rhizobium tropici bacteria show potential in soil erosion control by enhancing root growth and stabilizing topsoil in flood-prone areas. This study evaluated the effects of ethanol precipitate material (EPM), derived from EPS, on the growth of Arabidopsis plants with an emphasis on their root systems. After six weeks, plants growing in sand and soil treated with 125mg/L of EPM exhibited significantly enhanced root structures and an average biomass seven times larger than the untreated control (p<0.01). However, plants exposed to EPM only in sand, exhibited a twofold increase (p<0.01), highlighting the importance of EPM exposure during germination. In order to reduce the large variance in the mass measurements from inorganic residue on the roots, X-ray CT imaging was employed, with AI analysis used to discriminate organic and inorganic boundaries. Excellent agreement was obtained for the root volumes calculated from the measured masses with those measured directly, confirming the applicability of this method for root structural analysis.
Aaron Sloutski; Justin Burzachiello; Yu-Chung Lin; Steven Slote; Benoit Lacroix; Vitaly Citovsky; Yuefan Deng; Marcia Simon; J. Gao; Miriam Rafailovich
2025 International Conference on Bio-mediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics (ICBBG2025)
Special symposium: Biopolymer treated soils
https://doi.org/10.53243/ICBBG2025-135
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