Changes in Environmental Conditions Differentially Affect the Bacterial Microbiome Communities in Different Apple...

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Microbiology
• Plant Pathology

Background:

• The plant microbiome, especially the fruit microbiome, is crucial for sustainable, ecofriendly disease management.
• Understanding factors influencing the fruit microbiome is essential for harnessing its potential in disease control.
• The variability of the fruit microbiome necessitates comprehensive research into influencing factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of growing season and management strategies on the bacterial microbiome of 'Honeycrisp' apples.
• To analyze the differences in bacterial communities between apple core and peel tissues.
• To characterize microbial cooperation networks and identify key taxa in apple tissues.

Main Methods:

• Sampling 'Honeycrisp' apples from seven orchards over two growing seasons.
• Analyzing bacterial microbiome composition and structure in core and peel tissues.
• Characterizing microbial cooperation networks and identifying influential taxa.

Main Results:

• Growing season and management strategy significantly affected apple bacterial microbiome composition.
• Core and peel tissues exhibited distinct bacterial communities that responded differently to environmental factors.
• Specific microbial cooperation networks were identified in both core and peel tissues, with key taxa influencing network structure.

Conclusions:

• The study highlights the significant influence of environmental and agricultural factors on the apple fruit microbiome.
• Differentiating between core and peel tissues is critical for accurate fruit microbiome research.
• Identifying key microbial taxa and understanding their interactions can lead to novel strategies for disease management.