Microorganisms and bio-sustainability of citrus orchards in Morocco

Abstract

Morocco is a leading citrus producer with a Mediterranean climate and fertile soil. The diversity of microbial communities is a subtle indicator of this fertility and lends insights into soil function and sustainability. We compare the soil microbiome under oranges in the Taroudant and Béni Mellal regions: 90 samples were analysed by genetic sequencing using Illumina MiSeq. Several groups of microorganisms play a key role in soil health, tree growth, and the production of good quality fruit. Proteobacteria dominate the bacterial phyla, Ascomycota the fungal phyla, but ANOVA reveals a highly significant difference between the two studied areas (R = 0.164, p = 0.001) in terms of bio-sustainability and microbiome. According to the Similarity Percentage Test, the Taroudant region is characterised by high biodiversity, contributing 55% to the other parameters, whereas Béni-Mellal region exhibits high resistance of microbial communities, contributing 43% to the other parameters.