Relationships between microbiome and fruit quality of white loquat

The plant microbiome is one of the key determinants of plant health and productivity, providing host plants with functions such as access to low-abundance nutrients, resistance to pathogen invasion, and adaptation to the environment. In this study, the flavor and physicochemical indexes of white loquat were comprehensively determined, and 16S rRNA amplicon technology was used to analyze the composition and function of microorganisms in the roots, leaves and bulk soil environments of white loquat, in order to reveal the relationships between the microbial community and fruit quality. The results showed that the microbial communities in soil environment covered most of the microorganisms in the root and leaf environments, but there were obvious differences in community structure and microbial function, indicating that there was obvious niche differentiation of endophytic microorganisms in different organs of plants. An analysis of the core microbiome and non-core microbiome revealed that functional redundancy existed in all three environments. On the basis of the correlation analysis between fruit quality and microorganisms, it was found that microorganisms in roots had an obvious regulatory effect on fruit quality but were not found in leaves. This study clarifies the microbiome-host interaction in white loquat and identifies the microorganisms associated with fruit quality, laying an important foundation for the study of precision fertilization and efficiency enhancement in white loquat.