Abstract
The plant microbiome plays a crucial role in the health of the tea plant, while Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is widely utilized as a biological pesticide in tea gardens, promoting sustainable agricultural practices. However, the effects of Bt spraying on tea quality and the structure and function of the phyllosphere microbiome remain unclear. This study evaluated the effects of Bt spraying on tea quality, microbiome composition, diversity, and potential functions using tea leaf quality measurements and high-throughput sequencing of the 16S/ITS rDNA genes. Results showed that spraying Bt1 significantly increased the contents of free amino acids (by 15.27%), flavonoids (by 18.00%), soluble sugars (by 62.55%), and key compounds such as epicatechin gallate (by 10.50%), gallocatechin gallate (by 122.52%), and epigallocatechin gallate (by 61.29%), leading to improved leaf quality. Co-occurrence network analysis indicated that the community structure of both epiphytic and endophytic microbes became more complex after Bt treatment. The abundance of beneficial bacteria, such as Novosphingobium, Methylobacterium, and Sphingomonas, increased significantly, while pathogenic fungi like Aspergillus and Phyllosticta decreased. Functional prediction indicated enhanced amino acid metabolism, secondary metabolism, and carbohydrate metabolism, particularly the biosynthesis of flavonoids, which supports disease resistance and boosts secondary metabolite levels. Furthermore, Bt application reduced pathogenic fungi, enhancing the tea plant’s resistance to diseases. Overall, foliar spraying of Bt can positively alter the phyllosphere microbiome by enriching beneficial bacteria and improving metabolic functions, ultimately enhancing tea plant resistance and quality, and providing a scientific basis for sustainable pest management in tea cultivation.
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Claims 14
Claim · model-written summary
Bt1 spraying increased free amino acids by 15.27%
- Taxon
- tea plante2
- Treatment
- spraying Bt1e0
- Interactor
- Bt1e0other
- Outcome
- free amino acidse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 15.27%e0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“spraying Bt1 significantly increased the contents of free amino acids (by 15.27%), flavonoids (by 18.00%), soluble sugars (by 62.55%), and key compounds such as epicatechin gallate (by 10.50%), gallocatechin gallate (by 122.52%), and epigallocatechin gallate (by 61.29%)”
e2“health of the tea plant”
Claim · model-written summary
Bt1 spraying increased flavonoids by 18.00%
- Taxon
- tea plante2
- Treatment
- spraying Bt1e0
- Interactor
- Bt1e0other
- Outcome
- flavonoidse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 18.00%e0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“spraying Bt1 significantly increased the contents of free amino acids (by 15.27%), flavonoids (by 18.00%), soluble sugars (by 62.55%), and key compounds such as epicatechin gallate (by 10.50%), gallocatechin gallate (by 122.52%), and epigallocatechin gallate (by 61.29%)”
e2“health of the tea plant”
Claim · model-written summary
Bt1 spraying increased soluble sugars by 62.55%
- Taxon
- tea plante2
- Treatment
- spraying Bt1e0
- Interactor
- Bt1e0other
- Outcome
- soluble sugarse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 62.55%e0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“spraying Bt1 significantly increased the contents of free amino acids (by 15.27%), flavonoids (by 18.00%), soluble sugars (by 62.55%), and key compounds such as epicatechin gallate (by 10.50%), gallocatechin gallate (by 122.52%), and epigallocatechin gallate (by 61.29%)”
e2“health of the tea plant”
Claim · model-written summary
Bt1 spraying increased epicatechin gallate by 10.50%
- Taxon
- tea plante2
- Treatment
- spraying Bt1e0
- Interactor
- Bt1e0other
- Outcome
- epicatechin gallatee0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 10.50%e0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“spraying Bt1 significantly increased the contents of free amino acids (by 15.27%), flavonoids (by 18.00%), soluble sugars (by 62.55%), and key compounds such as epicatechin gallate (by 10.50%), gallocatechin gallate (by 122.52%), and epigallocatechin gallate (by 61.29%)”
e2“health of the tea plant”
Claim · model-written summary
Bt1 spraying increased gallocatechin gallate by 122.52%
- Taxon
- tea plante2
- Treatment
- spraying Bt1e0
- Interactor
- Bt1e0other
- Outcome
- gallocatechin gallatee0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 122.52%e0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“spraying Bt1 significantly increased the contents of free amino acids (by 15.27%), flavonoids (by 18.00%), soluble sugars (by 62.55%), and key compounds such as epicatechin gallate (by 10.50%), gallocatechin gallate (by 122.52%), and epigallocatechin gallate (by 61.29%)”
e2“health of the tea plant”
Claim · model-written summary
Bt1 spraying increased epigallocatechin gallate by 61.29%
- Taxon
- tea plante2
- Treatment
- spraying Bt1e0
- Interactor
- Bt1e0other
- Outcome
- epigallocatechin gallatee0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 61.29%e0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“spraying Bt1 significantly increased the contents of free amino acids (by 15.27%), flavonoids (by 18.00%), soluble sugars (by 62.55%), and key compounds such as epicatechin gallate (by 10.50%), gallocatechin gallate (by 122.52%), and epigallocatechin gallate (by 61.29%)”
e2“health of the tea plant”
Claim · model-written summary
Bt treatment made the epiphytic and endophytic microbial community structure more complex
- Taxon
- tea plante2
- Treatment
- Bt treatmente0
- Interactor
- Bte0other
- Outcome
- community structure of both epiphytic and endophytic microbese0
- Direction
- more complexe0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“community structure of both epiphytic and endophytic microbes became more complex after Bt treatment”
e2“health of the tea plant”
Claim · model-written summary
Novosphingobium abundance increased after Bt treatment
- Taxon
- tea plante2
- Treatment
- Bt treatmente1
- Interactor
- NovosphingobiumNovosphingobiume0symbiont
- Outcome
- abundance of beneficial bacteriae0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“The abundance of beneficial bacteria, such as Novosphingobium, Methylobacterium, and Sphingomonas, increased significantly”
e1“more complex after Bt treatment”
e2“health of the tea plant”
Claim · model-written summary
Methylobacterium abundance increased after Bt treatment
- Taxon
- tea plante2
- Treatment
- Bt treatmente1
- Interactor
- MethylobacteriumMethylobacteriume0symbiont
- Outcome
- abundance of beneficial bacteriae0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“The abundance of beneficial bacteria, such as Novosphingobium, Methylobacterium, and Sphingomonas, increased significantly”
e1“more complex after Bt treatment”
e2“health of the tea plant”
Claim · model-written summary
Sphingomonas abundance increased after Bt treatment
- Taxon
- tea plante2
- Treatment
- Bt treatmente1
- Interactor
- Sphingomonas
Sphingomonase0symbiont - Outcome
- abundance of beneficial bacteriae0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The abundance of beneficial bacteria, such as Novosphingobium, Methylobacterium, and Sphingomonas, increased significantly”
e1“more complex after Bt treatment”
e2“health of the tea plant”
Claim · model-written summary
Aspergillus decreased after Bt treatment
- Taxon
- tea plante2
- Treatment
- Bt treatmente1
- Interactor
- Aspergillus
Aspergilluse0pathogen - Outcome
- pathogenic fungie0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“pathogenic fungi like Aspergillus and Phyllosticta decreased”
e1“more complex after Bt treatment”
e2“health of the tea plant”
Claim · model-written summary
Phyllosticta decreased after Bt treatment
- Taxon
- tea plante2
- Treatment
- Bt treatmente1
- Interactor
- Phyllosticta
.jpg?width=60)
Phyllostictae0pathogen - Outcome
- pathogenic fungie0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“pathogenic fungi like Aspergillus and Phyllosticta decreased”
e1“more complex after Bt treatment”
e2“health of the tea plant”
Claim · model-written summary
Functional prediction indicated enhanced amino acid, secondary and carbohydrate metabolism
- Taxon
- tea plante2
- Treatment
- Bt treatmente1
- Interactor
- Bte1other
- Outcome
- amino acid metabolism, secondary metabolism, and carbohydrate metabolisme0
- Direction
- enhancede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Functional prediction indicated enhanced amino acid metabolism, secondary metabolism, and carbohydrate metabolism”
e1“more complex after Bt treatment”
e2“health of the tea plant”
Claim · model-written summary
Bt application was interpreted to enhance tea disease resistance by reducing pathogenic fungi
Verbatim
e0“Bt application reduced pathogenic fungi, enhancing the tea plant’s resistance to diseases”
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