The study investigated how native soil microbes affect heat tolerance in soybean (Glycine max) by comparing plants grown in natural versus microbiome‑disturbed soils under optimal and elevated temperatures. Using 16S rRNA and ITS sequencing alongside non‑targeted root metabolomics, the authors found significant shifts in bacterial and fungal communities, suppressed nodule‑forming bacteria, and altered root metabolites that correlated with reduced nodulation efficiency under heat stress. Integrated multi‑omics analyses linked microbial composition to metabolite profiles and nitrogen‑fixation traits, highlighting a coordinated response of the root physiological system to combined heat and microbiome perturbations.

A two‑year field study examined how soybean (Glycine max) vegetative and reproductive tissues respond transcriptionally and physiologically to water deficit, heat, and their combination. The field‑grown plants showed distinct transcriptomic patterns compared with controlled‑environment studies, especially under single stresses, while differential leaf‑pod transpiration observed in growth chambers was also present in the field. The generated transcriptomic dataset highlights the importance of field‑based omics for understanding crop stress responses.