Substrates reveal higher impact on maize rhizosphere microbiome than rooting depth and plant genotypes

Effects of different drivers such as soil textures or substrates, plant genotypes and rooting depths on rhizosphere bacterial, archaeal and fungal compositions associated with two maize genotypes (wild type, WT and root hair less mutant, rth3) were assessed uisng Miseq Illumina amplicon sequencing approach. Findings revealed that Within the short period of time, 22 days after sowing of maize seeds, the rooting depth dependent effects on maize rhizosphere microbiome were revealed in both maize genotypes and substrates. The effects on bacterial compositions were higher than that on fungi. Substrates were the strongest drivers of bacterial, archaeal and fungal maize rhizosphere, followed by rooting depths and maize genotypes.