Investigating the effects of the blewit mushroom Lepista nuda on the community composition of its soil environment.

Lepista nuda, or the blewit, is a saprotrophic fungus that produces fairy rings and mycelial mats. Studies have revealed its antimicrobial properties including hyphal penetration/consumption of microbes, and reduced incidence of disease on plants with culture filtrates/extracts. However, field studies are limited. Here, soil was sampled before and twice after inoculating with manure and either living or autoclaved Lepista mycelium in coastal regions of Newfoundland Canada. Arthropod, nematode, bacterial and fungal members of the soil community were identified and their relative abundance determined by metabarcoding analyses of soil-extracted DNAs. Community differences were revealed for fungi, bacteria, and nematode samples. Diversity and richness increased for bacteria only. Differential abundance analysis revealed many significant OTUs across sampling seasons for bacteria, fungi, and arthropod samples, many of which are known to be agriculturally or medically significant. Results support future investigations on Lepista potential in intercropping agricultural systems as an edible co-crop and biopesticide/biofertilizer.