Effect of taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional identity of plant neighborhood on Medicago trunculata’s microbiota. Medicago truncatula mycobiome under influence

Using an experimental matrix-focal plant species design testing 15 neighbouring plants from 5 taxonomic families, we demonstrated that the neighboring plants acted on the pool of AMF recruited by the focal plant, M. truncatula, especially in term of richness but not relative abundance. M. truncatula grown with Brassicaceae or other Fabaceae species displayed respectively no and low AMF richness compared to those grown with Rosaceae and Asteraceae species. These effects were weakly dependent on the phylogenetic distance with the neighbouring plant but rather on the functional proximity. AMF assemblages were enriched and more similar to the neighboring plants’ when it was functionally dissimilar from the focal plant. This was only detected while taking into account the functional nutrient-use and uptake strategy rather than on a more integrated growing strategy of the plant.