Functional differentiation of industrial hemp rhizosphere microbiome along environmental gradients

The southwestern, central, and northeastern regions of China are the primary cultivation areas for industrial hemp. Microorganisms within the soil-root continuum play a crucial role in plant health. However, the mechanisms by which these microbial communities respond to environmental gradients remain unclear. This study aimed to explore how bacterial and fungal communities in the bulk soil and rhizosphere of industrial hemp respond to environmental gradients across diverse climatic zones. We collected soil samples from eight representative regions and analyzed microbial diversity, composition, and assembly mechanisms using DNA metabarcoding. Results showed that microbial diversity in the rhizosphere was lower than in bulk soil, likely due to selective root filtering. The lowest diversity occurred in the temperate continental climate, highlighting the effects of precipitation, soil nutrients, and organic carbon. Climate type was the main factor influencing microbial community structure, with annual precipitation and temperature as key environmental constraints. Bacterial communities were mainly assembled by deterministic processes, while fungal communities were driven by stochastic processes. Additionally, geographic variation in rhizosphere microbial function reflected a co-adaptive mechanism between hemp and its microbial community under varying environmental pressures. These findings enhance our understanding of industrial hemp soil microbiomes and provide insights for optimizing cultivation management.