White clover-tea intercropping modulates rhizosphere microbiome composition and structure

Leguminous plants are widely incorporated into intercropping systems because of their nitrogen-fixing capabilities. The effects of intercropping white clover on the composition and functional characteristics of rhizosphere soil microbiota in tea plantations were investigated. Metagenomic sequencing was used to characterize the diversity and structure of the microbial community under white clover-tea intercropping. The results revealed significant shifts in the rhizosphere microbial community structure following white clover intercropping, accompanied by pronounced increases in the relative abundances of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway annotation showed that microbial genes were primarily enriched in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. Differential abundance analysis revealed increased representation of genes associated with terpenoid and polyketide metabolism in the soil microbiota of intercropped plots. Moreover, annotation of carbohydrate-active enzymes demonstrated a significant enrichment of glycoside hydrolases (GHs), among which GH87, GH71, and GT53 exhibited the greatest increases. Collectively, these findings indicate that white clover-tea intercropping improves rhizosphere microbial diversity and enhances the abundance of functional genes related to terpenoid and polyketide biosynthesis. These findings provide theoretical insights into the responses of the soil microbial community to white clover intercropping in tea plantations.