AUTHOR=Jia Huanyu , Muhae-Ud-Din Ghulam , Zhang Han , Zong Qianqian , Zhao Sifeng , Guo Qingyuan , Chen Wanquan , Gao Li TITLE=Characterization of Rhizosphere Microbial Communities for Disease Incidence and Optimized Concentration of Difenoconazole Fungicide for Controlling of Wheat Dwarf Bunt JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.853176 DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2022.853176 ISSN=1664-302X ABSTRACT=Rhizosphere soil microorganisms have great agricultural importance. To explore the relationship of rhizosphere microorganisms with the disease incidence and to optimize difenoconazole fungicide for controlling of wheat dwarf bunt, caused by Tilletia controversa Kühn, the rhizosphere microorganisms were characterized based on sequencing. We found that the disease incidence was correlated with the relative abundance of some microbial communities, such as Acidobacteria, Nocardioides, Roseiflexaceae, Pyrinomonadaceae, Gemmatimonadaceae and Actinobacteria showed significant differences in infected soils compared with control soils and relative abundances of Acidobacteria, Pyrinomonadaceae, Gemmatimonadaceae and Saccharimonadales were distinctly higher in the T. controversa-inoculated group than in the control group. Dehalococcoidia, Nitrosomonadaceae, and Thermomicrobiales were found in only T. controversa-inoculated soil, and these taxa may have potential effects against the pathogen and contribute to disease control of wheat dwarf bunt. Additionally, the soil treated by difenoconazole for T. controversa infected had high relative abundance of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Mortierellomycota and Olpidiomycota based on heatmap analysis and ANOVA. Our findings suggest that the optimized concentration of fungicide (5% recommended difenoconazole) with better control efficiency and constant diversity in the rhizosphere soil.