# Taxonomic diversity and functional adaptations indicated by the rhizospheric soil microbiome derived from Turkish wheat fields

## TL;DR

Wheat roots in Turkish fields host unique bacteria that could be used to create effective, local bio-fertilizers.

## Contribution

Identification of 77 wheat-rhizosphere-enriched bacterial OTUs and 209 ubiquitous OTUs in Turkish wheat fields.

## Key findings

- 77 OTUs were enriched in wheat rhizospheres, including plant growth-promoting bacteria.
- 209 OTUs were found in all ten wheat fields, suggesting ubiquity in Turkish wheat regions.
- Soil pH and macronutrient content influenced the presence of specific bacterial taxa.

## Abstract

Optimization of the soil microbiome is a promising strategy to support sustainable crop production. With the goal of developing novel bio-fertilizers for wheat cultivation, we collected fresh soil samples from ten different fields representing wheat production regions in Türkiye. Wheat seedlings (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum) were cultivated in each soil and at the three-leaf stage, DNA was isolated from the rhizospheric soil associated with each plant and the bacterial microbiome composition determined by 16S metabarcoding. Long-read sequencing was used to maximize resolution, and 1269 high-quality operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified. Comparisons of wheat and non-wheat rhizospheric soil identified 77 OTUs that were enriched in the wheat rhizosphere, several belonging to taxa that have previously been described as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria. Furthermore, 209 OTUs were present in all ten wheat fields sampled, indicating that they may be ubiquitous in wheat-growing regions of Türkiye; a subset of these were also reported in wheat rhizospheric soil from other countries. Additional taxa were shown to be enriched based on local soil conditions such as pH and macronutrient content. These findings shed light onto the essential composition of the wheat rhizospheric microbiome, which provides a foundation for the development of locally adapted bio-fertilizers.

Summary: The roots of wheat grown in productive Turkish fields harbour distinctive bacterial communities that could form the basis of effective, locally adapted bio-fertilizers.