Root and rhizosphere microbiome of Saskatchewan crops

Root associated bacteria are an important component of the plant-microbiome and influence growth and productivity of crops in agricultural ecosystems. Because of the potential benefits of bacteria for sustainable agriculture, it is important to investigate their diversity in different plant species and how edaphic factors influence this relationship. This study assessed bacterial communities associated with the rhizosphere and root interior of canola (Brassica napus L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), lentil (Lens culinaris L.) and field pea (Pisum sativum L.) grown at four agricultural fields in Saskatchewan. High throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA amplicons from bacterial communities suggested a selection of root endophytic bacteriafrom the rhizosphere. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla in the root interior, whereas Gemmatimonadetes and Firmicutes were only present in the rhizosphere soil. The genera Pseudomonas and Stenotrophomonas were predominant in the rhizosphere and root interior of all crops, suggesting a generalist distribution of these bacteria. However, other genera including Xanthomonas, Arthrobacter, Streptomyces, Acinetobacter, Variovorax and Rhizobium were dominant in the root interior of specific crops.