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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #425342
Research Project: Disease Management in Small Fruit and Nursery Crops Based on Knowledge of Pathogen Diversity, Biology, and Environmental Effects

Location: Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit

Title: Metabarcoding-based characterization of the boxwood root-zone soil microbiome

Author
item LI, XIAOPING - Virginia Tech
item Weiland, Gerald
item OHKURA, MANA - Oregon State University
item Luster, Douglas
item KONG, PING - Virginia Tech
item HONG, CHUANXUE - Virginia Tech

Submitted to: BMC Plant Biology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/31/2025
Publication Date: 1/16/2026
Citation: Li, X., Weiland, G.E., Ohkura, M., Luster, D.G., Kong, P., Hong, C. 2026. Metabarcoding-based characterization of the boxwood root-zone soil microbiome. BMC Plant Biology. 26. Article 276. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-08094-1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-08094-1

Interpretive Summary: Microbes play an important role in plant health and may help mediate disease resistance. We investigated the microbes colonizing the roots of four boxwood varieties that varied in resistance to boxwood blight disease. We discovered many beneficial microbes that could contribute to disease resistance and could potentially be used for biocontrol. These findings will be also be used in a boxwood breeding program to select for more disease resistant varieties.

Technical Abstract: Rhizosphere microflora is important for plant growth and health. The objectives of this study were to characterize boxwood rhizosphere microbial community and understand their associations with plant disease resistance traits. Rhizosphere soil samples were collected from four cultivars with three levels of boxwood blight resistance at two geographically distant nursery locations during three seasons of 2021. Bacterial and fungal communities were characterized through DNA metabarcoding. The boxwood rhizosphere harbored many potential mycorrhizal genera and other beneficial microbes that may play a role in promoting boxwood growth and disease resistance, providing evidence supporting boxwood as a low-maintenance plant. The structure and composition of the fungal community differed among the cultivars, suggesting that fungi are recruited and specialized in response to plant phenotypic and genotypic cues that affect plant health. Importantly, the interactions among diverse mycorrhizal fungi may contribute to each cultivar’s blight tolerance but could be disrupted by cultural practices, such as intense fungicide application. These findings provide several new perspectives that will be useful in boxwood breeding and management to enhance plant resilience to disease and environmental stress.