The rhizospheric microbiome becomes more diverse with maize domestication and genetic improvement

Domestication and genetic improvement of maize improve yield and stress tolerance due to changes in morphological and physiological properties, which likely alter rhizosphere microbial diversity. Understanding how the evolution of maize germplasm impacts its rhizobacterial traits during the growth stage is important for optimizing plant-microbe associations and obtaining yield gain in domesticated germplasms. In this study, a total of nine accessions representing domestication and subsequent genetic improvement were selected. We then sequenced the plant DNA and rhizobacterial DNA of teosinte, landraces and inbred lines at the seedling, flowering and maturity stages in a field trial. Moreover, the soil chemical properties were determined at the respective stages to explore the associations of soil characteristics with bacterial community structures. The results showed that domestication and genetic improvement increased the rhizobacterial diversity and substantially altered the rhizobacterial community composition. The core microbiome in the rhizosphere differed among germplasm groups. The co-occurrence network analysis demonstrated that the modularity in the bacterial network of the inbred lines was greater than those of teosinte and the landraces. In conclusion, the increased diversity of the rhizobacterial community with domestication and genetic improvement may improve maize resilience to biotic stresses and soil nutrient availability to plants.