Nursery Inoculation with Rhizofagus irregularis (AMF) Shifts Metabolic Functions of Rhizosphere Bacteria in Field-Grown Tomato Plants

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of R. irregularis inoculation on the metabolic functions of the rhizosphere microbiome. To the best of our knowledge, there is littlea paucity of information regarding the impact of AMF inoculation on rhizomicrobiome functionality, particularly with regard to the potential lasting effects of nursery AMF inoculation in field trials. We tested the hypothesis that R. irregularis nursery inoculation affects metabolic pathways of the rhizosphere microbiome of tomato plants and that this effect persists throughout the growth period of the tomato plants in the field. Additionally, the study aimed to assess the role of the co-addition of signalling molecules that promote AM symbiosis establishment, including strigolactones and flavonoids, in potentially modifying the structure and functionality of the rhizomicrobiome community.