Characteristics and functions of rhizosphere bacterial communities of C. sinensis cv. Shifocui tea tree with cold resistance characteristics in Anhui Province, China

Abstract The rhizosphere microbial community of plants has a crucial effect on healthy plant growth, and each rhizosphere has a specific microbial community. C. sinensis cv. Shifocui is a tea plant distributed in the Dabie Mountains of Anhui Province. It has the characteristics of high yield, good quality, strong cold resistance, and a high amino acid content. This study was the first to use 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology and bioinformatics methods to explore the characteristics and functions of the rhizosphere bacterial community of the cold-tolerant tea tree C. sinensis cv. Shifocui , providing an important basis for the development and utilization of rhizosphere microbial resources. The dominant phylum in the rhizosphere microbes of the C.sinensiscv. Shifocui rhizosphere microorganisms were Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Acidobacteriota, and Actinobacteria. Network analysis showed significant positive and negative correlations among the rhizosphere bacterial groups of C.sinensiscv. Shifocui , among which Candidatus_Xiphinematobacter , Acidobacteriale , Bradyrhizobium , Subgroup _2, Candidatus_Udaeobacter, Gemmataceae , and Gaiellales were notable nodes in the interaction networks. Functional prediction of FAPROTAX indicated that C. sinensis cv. Shifocui was rich in chemoheterotrophic, cellulose hydrolysis, and oxidative heterotrophic conditions, indicating that the dominant bacterial flora was enriched in its rhizosphere microbes and played an important role in plant growth and development.These results lay a foundation for exploring the mechanism of interaction between C.sinensiscv. Shifocui and rhizosphere microorganisms and provide a research basis for the development and utilization of tea plant microbial resources.