Metabarcoding analysis of wheat crop plants under high basal nitrogen fertilization unveils that rizhosphere microbiomes are shaped by the plant and only particular bacterial and fungal taxons are affected by Trichoderma or top dressing application.

Here, a long-term wheat field trial was performed to assess, under a high basal N fertilization, the influence of N top dressing and Trichoderma applications on the microbial assembly in the rhizosphere and also on crop yield. Neither top dressing nor T. harzianum T34 applications increased yield by themselves, but top dressing application significantly increased grain protein and gluten contents. We analyzed 16S rDNA and ITS2 sequences in three different compartments (bulk soil, rhizosphere and root endosphere) at 12 days after top dressing and/or T. harzinum T34 application, in order to assess both bacterial and fungal communities compared to those of the control (high basal N fertilization).