Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and rhizobium play a significant role in plant symbiosis. However, their influence on the rhizosphere soil microbiome associated with nutrient acquisition and soil health is not well defined in the drylands of Montana (MT), USA. This study investigated the effect of microbial inoculants as seed treatment on pea yield, nutrient uptake, potential microbial functions, and rhizosphere soil microbial communities using high-throughput sequencing of 16S and ITS rRNA genes. The experiment was conducted under two contrasting dryland conditions with four treatments: control, single inoculation with AMF or Rhizobium, and dual inoculations of AMF and Rhizobium (AMF+Rhizobium). Our findings revealed that microbial inoculation efficacy was site-specific. AMF+Rhizobium synergistically increased grain yield at Sidney dryland field site (DFS) 2, while at Froid site, DFS 1, AMF improved plant resilience to acidic soil but contributed a marginal yield under non-nutrient limiting conditions. Across dryland sites, the plants' microbial dependency on AMF+Rhizobium (12%) was higher than single inoculations of AMF (8%) or Rhizobium (4%) alone. Variations in microbial community structure and composition indicate a site-specific response to AMF and AMF+Rhizobium inoculants. Overall, site-specific factors significantly influenced plant nutrient uptake, microbial community dynamics, and functional potential. It underscores the need for tailored management strategies that consider site-specific characteristics to optimize benefits from microbial inoculation.