AUTHOR=Lv Jiayan , Huo Chunyu , Zhang Jianlang , Huang Yongfang , Su Yu , Lv Yuzhou , Xie Xianan , Chen Zujing 

TITLE=Host genotype and age shape the microbial community in the rhizosphere soils of Camellia forests

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1440255

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2024.1440255

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Microbiota living in the rhizosphere influences plant growth and fitness, from the opposite perspective; whether host genotypes control its root microbiota is of great interest to forest breeders and microbiologists. To improve low-yield plantations and promote sustainable management of <italic>Camellia oleifera,</italic> high-throughput sequencing was used to study the chemical properties and microbiome in rhizosphere soil of <italic>Camellia</italic> forests under three genotypes (common <italic>C. oleifera</italic>, local <italic>C. gauchowensis,</italic> and <italic>C. chekiangoleosa</italic>) and three growth stages (sapling stage at 4-year-old, primary fruit stage at 7-year-old, and full fruiting stage at 11-year-old). The results showed that the rhizosphere soil organic matter (OM), nutrient concentrations, diversity, and community composition of the microbiome were significantly varied among different <italic>Camellia</italic> genotypes. The relative abundance of symbiotic and pathotrophic fungi in the rhizosphere soil of <italic>C. chekiangoleosa</italic> was significantly higher than that of <italic>C. gauchowensis</italic>. Concentrations of OM, available phosphorus (AP), and bacterial alpha diversity increased with tree age. Fungi of <italic>Saitozyma</italic>, <italic>Mortierella,</italic> and <italic>Glomeromycota</italic> and bacteria of <italic>Burkholderia–Caballeronia–Paraburkholderia</italic> and <italic>Vicinamibacterales</italic> had potential for fertilizer development for <italic>Camellia</italic> plantation. <italic>Camellia</italic> genotypes and growth stages were significantly correlated with the rhizosphere soil pH, OM, and available potassium (AK). Soil pH and OM were key factors that affected the microbiome in the <italic>Camellia</italic> rhizosphere soils. In conclusion, tree genotypes and growth stages shaped microbial communities in <italic>Camellia</italic> rhizosphere soils, and some plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria were identified as preliminary candidates for improving <italic>Camellia</italic> plantation growth.</p>