# Synergistic Recruitment of Symbiotic Fungi by Potting and Scleroderma bovista Inoculation Suppresses Pathogens in Hazel Rhizosphere Microbiomes

## TL;DR

This study shows that using potted treatments with a specific fungus helps protect hazel roots by changing the soil microbes to suppress harmful fungi.

## Contribution

The study reveals a synergistic effect of potting and Scleroderma bovista inoculation in recruiting symbiotic fungi to suppress pathogens in the hazel rhizosphere.

## Key findings

- S. bovista inoculation improved root growth parameters across all soils.
- Potting and S. bovista together suppressed pathogenic fungi like Coniothyrium and Cladobotryum.
- The treatments altered microbial diversity, reducing richness and diversity indices.

## Abstract

This study explored how potted treatments (with and without Scleroderma bovista inoculation) shape rhizosphere microbial diversity in hazel across five soils using split-root cultivation. Three treatments (control, split-root, split-root with S. bovista) were analyzed for root growth and microbial dynamics. S. bovista inoculation consistently enhanced root parameters (number, tips) in all soils. Potted treatments (with and without S. bovista inoculation) altered microbial features (OTU/ASV), with only 0.9–3.3% of features remaining unchanged. At the class level, potting increased Agaricomycetes abundance while reducing Sordariomycetes, a trend amplified by S. bovista. Potting decreased species richness estimates (ACE and Chao1), while both treatments lowered diversity index (Shannon index). Potted treatments without S. bovista inoculation drove stronger shifts in species composition than inoculation. Findings reveal potting and S. bovista synergistically recruit symbiotic fungi via root exudates, establishing disease-suppressive communities that selectively inhibit pathotrophic fungi (particularly plant pathogen Coniothyrium and fungal parasite Cladobotryum) while roughly maintaining non-pathogenic saprotrophic microbes essential for organic matter decomposition. This work provides insights for optimizing hazel orchard management and ectomycorrhizal agent development.