Root Endophyte-Manipulated Alteration in Rhizodeposits Stimulates in the Rhizosphere to Enhance Drought Resistance in Peanut.

Drought dramatically affects plant growth and yield. A previous study indicated that endophytic fungus can improve the drought resistance of peanuts, which is related with the root arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) community; however, how root endophytes mediate AMF assembly to affect plant drought resistance remains unclear. Here, we explored the mechanism by which endophytic fungus recruits AMF symbiotic partners via rhizodeposits to improve host drought resistance. The results showed that enhanced peanut drought resistance by enriching the AMF genus of the rhizosphere. Furthermore, metabolomic analysis indicated that significantly promoted isoformononetin and salicylic acid (SA) synthesis in rhizodeposits, which were correlated with the increase in abundance following inoculation. Coinoculation experiments confirmed that isoformononetin and SA could enrich in the rhizosphere, thereby improving the drought resistance. This study highlights the crucial role of fungal consortia in plant stress resistance.