Rhizosphere microbiota adaptation under blueberry cultivation: modified paddy soil versus acidic red soil

Although rhizosphere microbiota play pivotal roles in the adaptation of blueberry to acidic soils, their adaptation to contrasting soil types remains unexplored. Herein, rhizosphere soils from modified paddy and red soil plantations were analysed via 16S sequencing, core microbiome identification and KEGG pathway mapping. These analyses revealed that modified paddy soil exhibited higher α-diversity (Shannon index: p = 0.037) than red soil. The analysis of β-diversity confirmed significant divergence between the red soil rhizosphere communities and their bulk soil counterparts (p < 0.05), whereas the modified paddy soil communities remained structurally stable. Core OTU analysis identified 96 shared taxa (18.2% of total OTUs) across soils. The red soil rhizosphere microbes prioritised energy-yielding pathways (e.g. glucose-1-phosphate and sucrose degradation) that are critical for fruit cell wall synthesis. The modified paddy soil communities favoured glycogen degradation, reflecting the existence of resource competition under acidic stress. This study aimed to characterize the rhizosphere microbiota of blueberries cultivated in two distinct acidic soil types (modified paddy soil and red soil), identify core microbiome members, and elucidate their functional adaptations, thereby emphasising the importance of tailored microbial management during soil modification strategies (e.g. paddy soil acidification) to meet plant growth requirements.