Metagenomic analyses of the soybean root mycobiome and microbiome

Taproot decline (TRD) of soybean is an emerging disease of soybean that has warranted much attention within the past five years. As the name indicates, the taproot is attacked by the pathogen Xylaria necrophora. The lower soybean stem and taproot appear black, dry, and brittle. The inner pith is colonized with robust, white mycelium. Diseased plants snap at the soil line, providing a key diagnostic feature in the field. TRD disease occurrence and yield loss associated with TRD are outstanding issues in soybean production. We applied nuclear ribosomal DNA Internal Transcribed Spacers and 16S rRNA gene taxonomic marker sequencing to define the composition of the fungal and bacterial communities associated with healthy and diseased soybean roots collected from the Mississippi Delta.