# Soil microbiome analysis of cultivated tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ) plants

## TL;DR

This study compares the soil microbiome of healthy and unhealthy tomato plants, finding that a specific beneficial genus, Sphingomonas, is more abundant in healthy plants.

## Contribution

The study identifies Sphingomonas as a potentially beneficial genus for tomato plant health.

## Key findings

- No significant differences in overall bacterial biodiversity were found between healthy and unhealthy tomato plants.
- The genus Sphingomonas and its phylum Proteobacteria were significantly more abundant in soil from healthy tomato plants.
- The study suggests further research is needed to understand the benefits of Sphingomonas for tomato plants.

## Abstract

Microbial biodiversity is critical to tomato plant health. The symbiotic relationship between tomato plants and their soil microbiome influences the plants’ ability to absorb nutrients and adapt to environmental stresses. This study compared the soil microbiome between tomato plants appearing healthy versus those appearing unhealthy. There were no significant differences in overall bacterial biodiversity between the conditions. However, a specific beneficial genus (
Sphingomonas
) and its phylum Proteobacteria (Pseudomonadota) were found at significantly higher amounts in healthy plants’ soil compared to unhealthy plants’ soil. Our findings show the need for further examination of the benefits of
Sphingomonas
for tomato plants.