Microbial Diversity Profiling of Soil Samples Using 16S rRNA Metagenome Sequencing: A Nanopore-Based Approach

In this study, we performed 16S rRNA metagenome sequencing using a Nanopore-based methodology to examine the microbial diversity of four soil samples obtained from various tillage and weed management practices using the Oxford Nanopore MinION platform. Phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species-level dominating taxa were found in the analysis, which showed notable heterogeneity in bacterial abundance among samples. The organization of microbial communities and their possible functional roles were revealed using heatmaps and diversity indices. The study emphasizes that while herbicide treatments cause changes in taxonomic composition and functional potential, zero tillage with residue retention promotes a more strong and diversified microbial ecosystem. Furthermore, it highlights the effectiveness of Nanopore sequencing in detecting microbial taxa at various taxonomic levels, highlighting its usefulness in soil microbiome research.