Rhizosphere fungal communities associated with healthy and sudden death–affected duku (Lansium domesticum) plants revealed by ITS amplicon sequencing

Abstract

Soil microbial communities play an important role in plant health and soil ecosystem functioning. This study aimed to characterize the composition and diversity of soil fungal communities in the rhizosphere of duku (Lansium domesticum Corr.) plantations growing on peat and alluvial soil in Jambi Province, Indonesia, under healthy and sudden death–affected plant conditions. Soil samples were collected from four representative sites and analyzed using high-throughput sequencing of the fungal ITS region. The results revealed differences in fungal community composition between soils associated with healthy and sudden death–affected plants. Soils associated with healthy plants generally exhibited higher fungal diversity and a more even distribution of taxa. In contrast, sudden death–affected plant soils showed lower diversity and stronger dominance by a limited number of fungal genera. Differences in fungal community structure were observed alongside differences in soil chemical properties, including organic carbon, total nitrogen, and nutrient availability. These patterns suggest that soil physicochemical conditions may influence the composition of fungal communities in duku rhizosphere soils. Overall, this study provides a preliminary baseline of fungal diversity in duku plantations and highlights the potential importance of soil environmental factors in shaping microbial communities in tropical agroecosystems.