Cereal-legume intercropping modifies the dynamics of the active rhizospheric bacterial community

We assessed the impact of intercropping on the microbial communities in the rhizosphere of wheat (Triticum turgidum L. ssp durum) and pea (Pisum sativum L.). Using a RNA based approach coupled with bacterial phylum specific real time PCR, we found that the active bacterial communities in the wheat-pea association were distinct from those in the rhizosphere when crops were cultivated solely. This first explorative study showed that intercropping induced a synergetic interaction, which modified the structure of active microbial communities associated with roots by reducing the representation of Alpha-Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria while promoting Actinobacteria. The latter phylum harbors many species identified as growth promoting bacteria, calling for further analyses to better understand their function for intercropped cultures.