Rootstocks Shape the Rhizobiome: Rhizosphere and Endosphere Bacterial Communities in the Grafted Tomato System

Abstract

Understanding factors that control microbial communities is essential for designing and supporting microbiome-based agriculture. In this study, we used a grafted tomato system to study the effect of rootstock genotypes and grafting on bacterial communities colonizing the endosphere and rhizosphere. To compare the bacterial communities in control treatments (nongrafted and self-grafted plants) with the hybrid rootstocks used by farmers, we evaluated the effect of rootstocks on overall bacterial diversity and composition. These findings indicate the potential for using plant genotype to indirectly select bacterial taxa. In addition, we identify taxa responsive to each rootstock treatment, which may represent candidate taxa useful for biocontrol and in biofertilizers.