Gain insight into the core-citrus carposphere microbiome composition and function.
Learn on changes under different phytosanitary treatments applied in the field: who are plant-beneficial microbes and how bacterial and fungal communities respond to biological and copper-antimicrobials.
Find out why the integration of amplicon-sequencing with traditional cultivable-dependent techniques is a powerful approach to enhancing disease management strategies.
Citrus, a major fruit crop, remains relatively understudied in terms of its carposphere microbiome composition and function. Given the essential role of fungicide applications in disease management, it is imperative to comprehend their impact on the beneficial microbiota. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of the structural composition of citrus carposphere microbiome across three citrus hosts and its modification under different phytosanitary treatments (biological and copper-antimicrobials) applied in the field, utilizing Amplicon Sequencing and culture-dependent techniques. Our findings reveal a similar taxonomical composition across three citrus hosts, with Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota as dominant phyla. The core-citrus microbiome comprises 51 bacterial and 27 fungal Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs), encompassing genera widely reported as plant-beneficial microbes. Within the same citrus host, data were analyzed comparing different treatments. The culture-independent method revealed substantial reductions in the microbial composition and abundance profiles of the bacterial community when copper-based treatments were applied, whereas alternative products induced minimal shifts. The fungal community structure appears less sensitive to treatment applications. In parallel, we conducted a survey of cultivable microbiota to collect a representative number of bacteria naturally occurring on the fruit surface to approach a selection of potential biocontrol agents. Notably, 75% of 120 bacterial antagonistic strains identified through 16S rRNA gene amplification matched with core members. Summarizing: biological products do not perturb the beneficial microbiota of the carposphere, in contrast to the impact observed with copper treatments. The integration of Amplicon Sequencing with cultivable-dependent techniques reveals to be a powerful approach to enhancing disease management strategies. Introduction:
Slobodanka Radovic - IGA Tech
Speaker: Monia Lombardo - University of Catania
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