Predicting soil fungal communities from environmental properties

Summary in the original language of the document

In this study, we looked into whether we can predict the types of fungi in soil based on the soil's physical and chemical properties. We collected soil samples from 59 fields in Switzerland and analyzed both the soil properties and the types of fungi present using advanced sequencing techniques. We found that certain soil properties, like pH, potassium levels, and sand content, were particularly influential in determining the types of fungi present. Using this information, we developed a model that could successfully predict the fungal community in most soils. However, the model didn't work as well for soils with very unique properties or different fungal communities. Overall, being able to predict soil fungi based on soil properties could save time and effort compared to traditional sequencing methods, and it could have practical applications in agriculture, like monitoring pathogens, planning field treatments, or estimating crop yields.