Bacterial community associated with the soil-plant system of Ficus carica in the Baja California peninsula, Mexico

The Ficus carica L., is an important crop due to its adaptability to soils, climates and its high commercial value. Ficus carica represents a strategic crop for the Baja California peninsula, Mexico. There are few studies on the structure of taxonomic profiles in relation to the ecological niches of the soil, roots, and rhizosphere in Ficus carica. This study aimed to characterize the bacterial microbiome of the soil, rhizosphere and root associated with F. carica in an arid region of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico. Soil, rhizosphere, and root (endophytic microbiome) samples were collected from the F. carica agroecosystem in San Juan de los Planes, B.C.S, Mexico, and subsequently subjected to 16S rRNA metabarcoding analysis. Abundance plots were generated using microViz package. Alpha and beta diversity were estimated, and groups were compared using Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon post-hoc tests (p<0.05). In the rhizosphere (M) and roots (R) most prevalent phyla (frequency ≥ 0.5) were Proteobacteria (M 35 % and R 10 %), Bacteroidota (M 25 % and R 35 %) and Patescibacteria (M 20 % and R 35 %); while Firmicutes (Soil 53 % and M 10 %) stood out in the soil (S), where it had its greatest abundance. The roots showed a higher abundance of Microscillaceae, LWQ8, and YM_S32_TM7-50-20. The rhizosphere recorded an abundance of Microscillaceae, YM_S32_TM7-50-20, and Saccharimonadaceae, whereas Bacillaceae predominated in the soil. These findings could boost sustainable strategies, such as the formulation of bioinoculants in arid regions.