Abstract
This study aims to investigate the colonization and diversity of endophytic fungi in Amomum villosum roots across different planting locations and at various growth ages, and to analyze the fungal composition. In this study, we performed Illumina-based ITS sequencing to investigate the effects of growth ages and sample plots on the rhizosphere fungi of A. villosum. Colonization analysis revealed widespread colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and dark septate endophytes (DSEs), but colonization rates did not increase significantly with plant age. Glomus was the dominant AMF genus, while Exophiala, Cladosporium and Cladophialophora dominated the DSE community. Beneficial fungi included Phoma, Acremonium, Myrothecium and Trichoderma. Alpha and beta diversity analyses indicated that fungal diversity, abundance, and community composition were significantly influenced by planting location but not by plant age. Collectively, planting location drives divergent root fungal communities in A. villosum, while plant age selectively affects specific taxa. AMF and DSEs were considered to be dominant beneficial microorganisms and were largely responsible for the growth and development of A. villosum. This study provides valuable insights for identifying beneficial endophytic fungi in A. villosum and optimizes the application of AMF and DSE agents in its ecological cultivation.