Abstract
This study explored how potted treatments (with and without Scleroderma bovista inoculation) shape rhizosphere microbial diversity in hazel across five soils using split-root cultivation. Three treatments (control, split-root, split-root with S. bovista) were analyzed for root growth and microbial dynamics. S. bovista inoculation consistently enhanced root parameters (number, tips) in all soils. Potted treatments (with and without S. bovista inoculation) altered microbial features (OTU/ASV), with only 0.9-3.3% of features remaining unchanged. At the class level, potting increased Agaricomycetes abundance while reducing Sordariomycetes, a trend amplified by S. bovista. Potting decreased species richness estimates (ACE and Chao1), while both treatments lowered diversity index (Shannon index). Potted treatments without S. bovista inoculation drove stronger shifts in species composition than inoculation. Findings reveal potting and S. bovista synergistically recruit symbiotic fungi via root exudates, establishing disease-suppressive communities that selectively inhibit pathotrophic fungi (particularly plant pathogen Coniothyrium and fungal parasite Cladobotryum) while roughly maintaining non-pathogenic saprotrophic microbes essential for organic matter decomposition. This work provides insights for optimizing hazel orchard management and ectomycorrhizal agent development.