Leaf-associated bacterial microbiota of coffee and its correlation with manganese and calcium levels on leaves

• Published in: Genetics and molecular biology Vol. 41; no. 2; pp. 455 - 465
• Main Authors: Sousa, Leandro Pio de, Silva, Marcio José da, Costa Mondego, Jorge Maurício
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Sociedade Brasileira de Genetica 01-04-2018; Sociedade Brasileira de Genética
• Subjects: 16S; Abundance; Agricultural commodities; Agricultural practices; Alternative farming; Bacteria; BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY; Calcium; Coffea arabica; Coffea canephora; Coffee; Commodities; Dietary minerals; GENETICS & HEREDITY; Genetics of Microorganisms; Genotypes; Infections; leaf; Leaf rust; Leaves; Manganese; Microbial activity; Microbiota; Microorganisms; Nutrients; Pseudomonadales; calcium; bacteria; Coffee; leaf; manganese; 16S
• ISSN: 1415-4757; 1678-4685; 1678-4685
• DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2017-0255

Coffee is one of the most valuable agricultural commodities and the plants' leaves are the primary site of infection for most coffee diseases, such as the devastating coffee leaf rust. Therefore, the use of bacterial microbiota that inhabits coffee leaves to fight infections could be an alternative agricultural method to protect against coffee diseases. Here, we report the leaf-associated bacteria in three coffee genotypes over the course of a year, with the aim to determine the diversity of bacterial microbiota. The results indicate a prevalence of Enterobacteriales in Coffea canephora, Pseudomonadales in C. arabica 'Obatã', and an intriguing lack of bacterial dominance in C. arabica 'Catuaí'. Using PERMANOVA analyses, we assessed the association between bacterial abundance in the coffee genotypes and environmental parameters such as temperature, precipitation, and mineral nutrients in the leaves. We detected a close relationship between the amount of Mn and the abundance of Pseudomonadales in 'Obatã' and the amount of Ca and the abundance of Enterobacteriales in C. canephora. We suggest that mineral nutrients can be key drivers that shape leaf microbial communities.