Crop, genotype, and field environmental conditions shape bacterial and fungal seed epiphytic microbiomes

In this study, wheat, canola, and lentil seeds were analyzed to characterize diversity, structure, and persistence of seed-associated microbial communities. Five lines and 2 generations of each crop were subjected to high-throughput amplicon sequencing of the 16S  rRNA and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions. Bacterial and fungal communities differed most by crop type (30% and 47% of the variance), while generation explained an additional 10% and 15% of the variance. The offspring (i.e., generation harvested in 2016 at the same location) exhibited a h igher number of common amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) and less variability in microbial composition. Additionally, in every sample analyzed, a “core microbiome” was detected consisting of 5 bacterial and 12 fungal ASVs. Our results suggest that crop, genotype, and field environmental conditio ns contributed to the seed-associated microbial assemblage. These findings not only expand our understanding of the factors influencing the seed microbiome but may also help us to manipulate and exploit the microbiota naturally carried by seeds.
Source: Canadian Journal of Microbiology - Category: Microbiology Authors: Source Type: research