Exploring the maize rhizosphere microbiome in the field

Maize is one of the most economically important crops in the world. Understanding how the genetics and management of this staple crop interact with local field environments is vital to securing sustainable harvests. The interface zone between the plant root and its surrounding soil, or rhizosphere, supports essential interactions between roots and local soils. These interactions include the exchange of carbon for nutrients and are strongly influenced by the microbial constituents of the soil, or the microbiome. In a recent multi-environment study, we explored the diversity and heritability of the maize rhizosphere microbiome at flowering time. We assessed the bacterial diversity of the maize rhizosphere by pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes obtained from soil surrounding the roots of 27 genetically diverse maize inbreds grown in five field environments. We then partitioned variation in α- and β-diversity of the microbiome across plant inbreds in the different fields. The results of this study revealed the heritability and significance of genotype-by-environment interactions on the maize rhizosphere microbiome at a single time point. Longitudinal studies detailing the maize rhizosphere throughout an entire growing season are currently underway and should provide a more detailed view of how plant genotypes interact with the environment to shape the microbiome. Future efforts will aim to incorporate these interactions into genetic models of economically important traits such as yield.