# Soil Properties Induced Changes in the Microbial Communities Associated With Potato Tubers Grown in Different Lowland Fields of Northern Thailand

## TL;DR

This study shows that soil pH and organic matter influence the balance of harmful and helpful microbes on potato tubers in northern Thailand, offering a strategy for sustainable farming.

## Contribution

The study identifies pH and organic matter as key drivers of microbial community composition on potato tubers in northern Thailand.

## Key findings

- Soil pH and organic matter significantly influence bacterial and fungal species composition on potato tubers.
- These factors affect microbial interactions and stability, impacting beneficial and pathogenic microbe quantities.
- Understanding these dynamics can support environmentally friendly farming strategies.

## Abstract

Potato tubers are a primary source of infection with phytopathogens, which temporarily colonize their surfaces. Therefore, soil management practices are necessary to reduce pathogen accumulation. In Thailand, potato production typically involves soil amendment and crop rotation to decrease the quantities of soilborne pathogens before and during cultivation. In this study, we investigated the influence of microbial diversity, taxonomy, and functions of bacterial and fungal communities, as well as environmental factors, intra‐ and interkingdom microbial correlations, on potato tubers grown in Tak and Chiang Mai Provinces in northern Thailand, using 16S and ITS amplicon sequencing. The results show that soil properties significantly influenced the species composition of the bacterial and fungal communities on the potato tubers, although they did not distinctly affect overall species richness and evenness. Redundancy analysis also revealed that pH and organic matter are the main factors driving bacterial and fungal taxon enrichment and reduction. These factors also affect microbial composition and enhance the stability of cooperative and competitive microbial interactions. These findings demonstrate that pH and organic matter potentially impact the fluctuation of beneficial and phytopathogenic bacterial and fungal quantities in the potato tuber microbiome. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of these dynamics could help us develop environmentally friendly strategies for supporting farming practices by promoting beneficial microbial interactions.

Microbial communities on potato tubers in northern Thailand were studied with 16S and ITS amplicon sequencing. It was found that soil pH and organic matter are key drivers of bacterial and fungal composition, affecting the balance between pathogens and beneficial microbes. This discovery suggests that modifying soil properties can be a strategy for boosting crop production and sustainable disease control.