Journal of Agronomy and Field Innovations

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) ranks among the most economically significant leguminous crops globally and its yield is closely connected to rhizosphere microbiome diversity and function. Organic farming systems are known for the fact that organic inputs are used instead of synthetic agrochemicals and the microbiome formed in these systems differs in many ways from that of plant rhizocytes cultivated using conventional methods. However, the taxonomic and functional composition of the soybean rhizosphere microbiome cultivated according to organic agriculture techniques remains poorly studied. The current research aimed to study the soybean rhizosphere microbiome of Glycine max cultivated organically. More precisely, rhizosphere soil was sampled at four different phenological stages of soybean growth at a research farm practicing organic farming techniques. Remarkable similarities and differences in microbial community structure of rhizosphere soils belonging to different treatments were revealed. The organic rhizosphere microbiome had a greater bacterial and fungal diversity (Shannon H′ = 4.62 as opposed to 3.85 of conventional plots), with a taxonomic profile rich in Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Actinobacteria, as well as several beneficial fungi genera, such as Trichoderma, Tortorella, and Glomus. Functional annotation revealed significant enrichment of gene families involved in biological N2 fixation, phosphate solubilization, production of siderophores, and degradation of organic carbon in the organic system in accordance with increased soil organic carbon, available phosphorus, and root biomass in this farming type. Analysis of co-occurring taxa networks revealed a very much interconnected group of plant growth-promoting and disease-suppressing microorganisms in organic rhizospheres. The results prove that organic farming contributes to the creation of diverse as well as versatile organismic microbiome of the rhizosphere that plays an important role in nutrient cycling and sustainability of soybean production.