Rhizosphere microbial communities of Musa ABB ‘Pisang Kepok’ across agroecological zones of Enggano island: Insights into its microbiome structure and potential for Fusarium wilt suppression

Abstract Fusarium wilt of banana, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (FOC), remains a significant threat to global banana production. Despite its proximity to outbreak zones in Sumatra, Fusarium wilt has never been reported on Enggano Island, Indonesia. This study investigated whether rhizosphere microbial communities of Musa ABB ‘Pisang Kepok’ contribute to this apparent disease suppression. Using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing and soil physicochemical analysis, rhizosphere microbiomes from three agroecological zones were characterized. Results revealed strong spatial differentiation, with only 5.1% of ASVs shared across sites and dominance by Proteobacteria (37.9%), Actinobacteria (31.4%), and Firmicutes (10.9%). Soil pH (R 2 = 0.41) and total nitrogen (R 2 = 0.18) emerged as key environmental drivers shaping community composition, influencing the enrichment of site-specific taxa such as acid-tolerant Stenotrophomonas , nitrogen-cycling Bradyrhizobium , and phosphate-solubilizing Fictibacillus . Additionally, antifungal genera including Bacillus, Streptomyces, Pseudomonas , Burkholderia , and Lysobacter were detected, suggesting a functionally structured microbiome with potential suppressive activity against FOC. These findings establish a comprehensive microbiome baseline for ‘Pisang Kepok’ on Enggano Island and highlight the role of environmental filtering in structuring beneficial rhizosphere communities. The identification of key microbial taxa with known plant health-inducing and growth-promoting functions provides valuable leads for microbiome-informed disease surveillance and biocontrol strategies against Fusarium wilt in tropical banana agroecosystems.