# Topics and Trends in Most Cited Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis Papers, Class of 2026

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/legume-nitrogen-fixing-symbiosis/2026*

## What topics and trends defined most-cited Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis research in the Class of 2026?

Research in legume nitrogen-fixing symbiosis is shifting rapidly from isolated microsymbionts toward complex rhizosphere community engineering. While core symbiosis themes maintain foundational dominance, studies on synthetic microbial communities, intercropping, and biofertilizers expanded significantly, whereas general diazotroph classifications experienced relative declines in high-impact publications.

## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Field | Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis |
| Cohort label | Class of 2026 (2024 publications) |
| Papers analyzed | 5,425 |
| Papers ranked | 20 |
| Top topics in ranked papers | Rhizosphere microbial community, synthetic microbial communities, biofertilizers, intercropping, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi |
| Publication window | Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024 |
| Eligibility | Research articles; reviews excluded |
| Citation window | 18 months post-publication |
| 18m citation range | 26–105 |
| Data source | OpenAlex · Retrieved Jul 2026 |
| License | CC BY 4.0 |

## Rankings

| Rank | Title | Authors | Corresponding authors | Affiliation | Journal | 18m citations | DOI |
| ---: | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---: | --- |
| 1 | Superiority of native soil core microbiomes in supporting plant growth | Yanyan Zhou, Donghui Liu, Fengqiao Li, Yuanhua Dong, Zhili Jin, Yangwenke Liao, Xiaohui Li, Shuguang Peng, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Xiaogang Li | Xiaohui Li, Shuguang Peng, Xiaogang Li | Nanjing Forestry University, China | Nature Communications | 105 | 10.1038/s41467-024-50685-3 |
| 2 | Legume rhizodeposition promotes nitrogen fixation by soil microbiota under crop diversification | Mengjie Qiao, Ruibo Sun, Zixuan Wang, Kenneth Dumack, Xingguang Xie, Chuanchao Dai, Ertao Wang, Jizhong Zhou, Bo Sun, Xinhua Peng, Michael Bonkowski, Yan Chen | Yan Chen | Chinese Academy of Sciences, China | Nature Communications | 89 | 10.1038/s41467-024-47159-x |
| 3 | Dynamic root microbiome sustains soybean productivity under unbalanced fertilization | Mingxing Wang, An-Hui Ge, Xingzhu Ma, Xiaolin Wang, Qiujin Xie, Like Wang, Xianwei Song, Mengchen Jiang, Weibing Yang, Jeremy D Murray, Yayu Wang, Huan Liu, Xiaofeng Cao, Ertao Wang | Xiaofeng Cao, Ertao Wang | Chinese Academy of Sciences, China | Nature Communications | 82 | 10.1038/s41467-024-45925-5 |
| 4 | Genetically optimizing soybean nodulation improves yield and protein content | Xiangbin Zhong, Jie Wang, Xiaolei Shi, Mengyan Bai, Cuicui Yuan, Chenlin Cai, Nan Wang, Xiaomin Zhu, Huaqin Kuang, Xin Wang, Jiaqing Su, Xin He, Xiao Liu, Wenqiang Yang, Chunyan Yang, Fanjiang Kong, Ertao Wang, Yuefeng Guan | Fanjiang Kong, Ertao Wang, Yuefeng Guan | Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, China | Nature Plants | 55 | 10.1038/s41477-024-01696-x |
| 5 | Enhanced nitrogen fixation and Cd passivation in rhizosphere soil by biochar-loaded nitrogen-fixing bacteria: Chemisorption and microbial mechanism | Yuxiao Chang, Lihong Lin, Jianlin Shen, Zheng Lin, Xingying Deng, Weimin Sun, Xinyue Wu, Yifan Wang, Yongquan Li, Zhimin Xu | Yongquan Li, Zhimin Xu | Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China | Journal of Hazardous Materials | 50 | 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.136588 |
| 6 | Drought-Tolerant Bacteria and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Mitigate the Detrimental Effects of Drought Stress Induced by Withholding Irrigation at Critical Growth Stages of Soybean (Glycine max, L.) | Aya Ahmed Nader, Fathi I A Hauka, Aida H Afify, Ahmed M El-Sawah | Ahmed M. El‐Sawah | Mansoura University, Egypt | Microorganisms | 49 | 10.3390/microorganisms12061123 |
| 7 | Zinc mediates control of nitrogen fixation via transcription factor filamentation | Jieshun Lin, Peter K Bjørk, Marie V Kolte, Emil Poulsen, Emil Dedic, Taner Drace, Stig U Andersen, Marcin Nadzieja, Huijun Liu, Hiram Castillo-Michel, Viviana Escudero, Manuel González-Guerrero, Thomas Boesen, Jan Skov Pedersen, Jens Stougaard, Kasper R Andersen, Dugald Reid | Jie-shun Lin, Kasper R. Andersen, Dugald Reid | Aarhus University, Denmark | Nature | 42 | 10.1038/s41586-024-07607-6 |
| 8 | Symbiotic Synergy: Unveiling Plant-Microbe Interactions in Stress Adaptation | Muhammad Anas, Awais Khalid, Muhammad Hamzah Saleem, Khalid Ali Khan, Waseem Ahmed Khattak, Shah Fahad | Shah Fahad | Quaid-i-Azam University, Pakistan | Journal of Crop Health | 41 | 10.1007/s10343-024-01070-z |
| 9 | Single-cell transcriptome atlases of soybean root and mature nodule reveal new regulatory programs that control the nodulation process | Sergio Alan Cervantes-Pérez, Prince Zogli, Sahand Amini, Sandra Thibivilliers, Sutton Tennant, Md Sabbir Hossain, Hengping Xu, Ian Meyer, Akash Nooka, Pengchong Ma, Qiuming Yao, Michael J Naldrett, Andrew Farmer, Olivier Martin, Samik Bhattacharya, Jasper Kläver, Marc Libault | Marc Libault | University of Nebraska-Lincoln, United States | Plant Communications | 38 | 10.1016/j.xplc.2024.100984 |
| 10 | Root hair developmental regulators orchestrate drought triggered microbiome changes and the interaction with beneficial Rhizobiaceae | Zhenghong Wang, Zewen Li, Yujie Zhang, Jingye Liao, Kaixiang Guan, Jingxuan Zhai, Pengfei Meng, Xianli Tang, Tao Dong, Yi Song | Yi Song | Southern University of Science and Technology, China | Nature Communications | 37 | 10.1038/s41467-024-54417-5 |
| 11 | Host-imposed control mechanisms in legume–rhizobia symbiosis | Stephanie S Porter, Simon E Dupin, R Ford Denison, E Toby Kiers, Joel L Sachs | Joel L. Sachs | Washington State University, United States | Nature Microbiology | 35 | 10.1038/s41564-024-01762-2 |
| 12 | European soybean to benefit people and the environment | Jose L Rotundo, Rachel Marshall, Ryan McCormick, Sandra K Truong, David Styles, Jose A Gerde, Emmanuel Gonzalez-Escobar, Elizabete Carmo-Silva, Victoria Janes-Bassett, Jennifer Logue, Paolo Annicchiarico, Chris de Visser, Alice Dind, Ian C Dodd, Louise Dye, Stephen P Long, Marta S Lopes, Joke Pannecoucque, Moritz Reckling, Jonathan Rushton, Nathaniel Schmid, Ian Shield, Marco Signor, Carlos D Messina, Mariana C Rufino | José L. Rotundo | Corteva Agriscience, Spain | Scientific Reports | 33 | 10.1038/s41598-024-57522-z |
| 13 | Contrasting seasonal effects of legume and grass cover crops as living mulch on the soil microbial community and nutrient metabolic limitations | Xin Sui, Xuelian Bao, Hongtu Xie, Xiao-Bo Ba, Yang Yu, Yang Ya-li, Hongbo He, Chao Liang, Xudong Zhang | Xuelian Bao | Chinese Academy of Sciences, China | Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment | 33 | 10.1016/j.agee.2024.109374 |
| 14 | Root exudation drives abiotic stress tolerance in plants by recruiting beneficial microbes | Bhaskar Jyoti Parasar, Indrani Sharma, Niraj Agarwala | Niraj Agarwala | Gauhati University, India | Applied Soil Ecology | 30 | 10.1016/j.apsoil.2024.105351 |
| 15 | Inorganic nitrogen inhibits symbiotic nitrogen fixation through blocking NRAMP2-mediated iron delivery in soybean nodules | Min Zhou, Yuan Li, Xiao-Lei Yao, Jing Zhang, Sheng Liu, Hong-Rui Cao, Shuang Bai, Chun-Qu Chen, Dan-Xun Zhang, Ao Xu, Jia-Ning Lei, Qian-Zhuo Mao, Yu Zhou, De-Qiang Duanmu, Yue-Feng Guan, Zhi-Chang Chen | Deqiang Duanmu, Yuefeng Guan, Zhichang Chen | Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, China | Nature Communications | 30 | 10.1038/s41467-024-53325-y |
| 16 | Deciphering Microbial Community and Nitrogen Fixation in the Legume Rhizosphere | Yaohui Yang, Nuohan Xu, Zhenyan Zhang, Chaotang Lei, Bingfeng Chen, Guoyan Qin, Danyan Qiu, Tao Lu, Haifeng Qian | Haifeng Qian | Zhejiang University of Technology, China | Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry | 28 | 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c09160 |
| 17 | Leguminous green manure intercropping changes the soil microbial community and increases soil nutrients and key quality components of tea leaves | Yu Duan, Ting Wang, Xiaogang Lei, Yu Cao, Lefeng Liu, Zhongwei Zou, Yuanchun Ma, Xujun Zhu, Wanping Fang | Xujun Zhu, Wanping Fang | Nanjing Agricultural University, China | Horticulture Research | 27 | 10.1093/hr/uhae018 |
| 18 | Biochar relieves the toxic effects of microplastics on the root-rhizosphere soil system by altering root expression profiles and microbial diversity and functions | Liyu Yang, Pu Shen, Haiyan Liang, Qi Wu | Qi Wu | Chinese National Peanut Engineering Research Center, China | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety | 26 | 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.115935 |
| 19 | Comparative genomics analysis reveals genetic characteristics and nitrogen fixation profile of Bradyrhizobium | Chaofang Zhong, Gang Hu, Cong Hu, Chaohao Xu, Zhonghua Zhang, Kang Ning | Zhonghua Zhang, Kang Ning | Nanning Normal University, China | iScience | 26 | 10.1016/j.isci.2024.108948 |
| 20 | A receptor required for chitin perception facilitates arbuscular mycorrhizal associations and distinguishes root symbiosis from immunity | Jingyi Zhang, Jongho Sun, Chai Hao Chiu, David Landry, Kangping Li, Jiangqi Wen, Kirankumar S Mysore, Sébastien Fort, Benoit Lefebvre, Giles E D Oldroyd, Feng Feng | Giles Oldroyd, Feng Feng | Oklahoma State University, United States | Current Biology | 26 | 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.015 |

## Topic trends

### What Topics Define the Class of 2026?

The Class of 2026 research landscape in legume nitrogen-fixing symbiosis is overwhelmingly anchor-driven by core biological processes and rhizosphere community mechanics. Biological nitrogen fixation and legume-rhizobia symbiosis represent the foundation of the corpus, present across more than 30% to 40% of key studies. However, the most pronounced research density centers on rhizosphere microbial communities, which experienced a 2.48-fold frequency surge in top-ranked publications. Rather than examining isolated microsymbionts in sterile conditions, recent high-impact work prioritizes multi-species soil ecosystems and synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) to enhance symbiotic efficacy.

Complementing microbial community dynamics, practical agricultural interventions feature prominently. Intercropping systems, biofertilizer formulations, and plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) have emerged as core focal points for optimizing nodulation and nutrient acquisition. Methodologically, transcriptomic analysis serves as the primary molecular lens for dissecting host-microbe cross-talk, while model and crop species like Glycine max (soybean) dominate experimental validation. Overall, the current cohort reflects a major shift toward engineering complex holobiont interactions and applying symbiotic mechanisms to sustainable crop production.

*Leading research themes*

### How Did Topics Shift from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026?

Comparing the Class of 2025 and Class of 2026 cohorts reveals a clear transition from descriptive single-organism studies toward integrative agro-ecosystem engineering. The most prominent expansion occurred in rhizosphere microbial community research, which rose from 11.1% normalized frequency in 2023 to 27.6% in 2024 (a 2.48-fold increase). Concurrently, specialized bio-inputs and agronomic strategies—specifically intercropping, biofertilizer carrier systems, and plant growth-promoting bacteria—recorded dramatic emergence, appearing in multiple high-impact 2024 publications after zero representation in the previous cohort's top tier.

In contrast, traditional broad classifications saw relative declines. General diazotroph studies experienced the sharpest decline, dropping from 18.5% normalized frequency (5 papers) in 2023 down to 6.9% (2 papers) in 2024. Specific host models like Glycine max also saw a minor contraction from 4 to 3 papers (0.70-fold relative change). Overall, these trajectory shifts signal that the legume nitrogen fixation field is rapidly pivoting from classical characterizations of isolated microsymbionts toward applied microbiome assembly, molecular signaling pathways (such as lipo-chitooligosaccharides), and soil-health management.

*How topics shifted year over year*

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/legume-nitrogen-fixing-symbiosis/2026. Accessed 2026-07-29.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```