Amplicon Characterization of Fungal Diversity and Functional Prediction of Glycine max L. Rhizosphere Microbiome Under Different Organic Fertilization
Abstract
ABSTRACT The rhizosphere microbiome is extremely important for soil health and plant productivity, with fungi primarily acting as the drivers of soil ecosystem functions. This study explores the fungal diversity and predicted functional potential of the soybean (Glycine max L.) rhizosphere under different organic fertilization treatments, including cattle dung, poultry waste, untreated control, and bulk. Fungal communities were profiled using ITS rRNA gene amplicon sequencing on the Illumina NovaSeq. 6000 platform following DNA extraction from rhizosphere soil. Raw sequences were processed and analyzed using QIIME 2 version 2019.1. Significant differences in fungal richness were observed among treatments. Bulk soil and cattle dung‐amended soils showed the highest richness (Chao1 = 1603.33 and 1456.64, respectively), whereas poultry waste‐amended soil exhibited the lowest richness (Chao1 = 957.93) and the lowest evenness (Pielou's index = 0.560), and the untreated control showed intermediate richness (Chao1 = 1242.11). The dominant phyla include Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Zygomycota, with enrichment in organic matter degradation and plant symbiosis. Beta‐diversity analysis showed the greatest compositional divergence between cattle dung and poultry waste (ANOSIM R = 0.74), none of the pairwise comparisons reached conventional statistical significance (p > 0.05), indicating ecologically relevant but statistically subtle shifts in community structure. LEfSe identified Hypocreales as a significant biomarker of cattle dung and Onygenales of poultry waste, consistent with FUNGuild predictions of enriched dung/wood‐saprotrophic and keratinolytic functions, respectively. FUNGuild predictions showed increased saprotroph and symbiotroph diversity in organically amended soils. Organic fertilizers enrich beneficial fungi, enhancing ecosystem functions in sustainable soybean cultivation.