Vineyard microbiome variations during different fertilisation practices revealed by 16s rRNA gene sequencing

Abstract Fertilisation practices are increasingly recognised as factors influencing the soil microbial communities, and they have a pivotal role in maintaining soil fertility and regulating ecosystem functions. Soil microbial communities react to different fertilisation practices and environmental conditions. It is known that vineyards harbour a specific set of microorganisms. The vineyard microbiome has been extensively investigated to decipher the associated microbial populations in soil, as well as the dynamics of microorganisms in grapes and the phyllosphere. Wine harbours a wide range of microorganisms originating from the belowground environment, many of which are recognised for their role in driving the grapevine quality. This study evaluates the long term-effect of two fertilisation practices (mineral, MD and organo-mineral, OMD) on the soil bacterial community in a nine-year-old vineyard. Sequencing was done on environmental DNA soil samples to amplify the hypervariable region V3–V4 of the 16S rRNA gene using an Illumina platform. The results provide information on the distribution of different bacterial groups in relation to fertilisation practices and temporal variability. Our work reveals that the assortment and distribution of microorganisms in agricultural systems depend on several factors, underlining the importance of fertilisation strategy in the overall management of soil quality and fertility.