Compost microorganisms with different organic matter
Study Description:This study investigates how variations in organic matter composition, specifically cellulose content, influence the microbial community structure and function during vegetable waste composting, and how these changes correlate with the compost's suppressive capacity against the soilborne pathogen Fusarium oxysporum. We established three composting treatments (T1, T2, T3) with graded cellulose levels and conducted time-series sampling to track microbial succession using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Our results demonstrate that high-cellulose compost (T3) enriched for beneficial taxa such as Bacillus and Actinobacteria, enhanced amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism pathways, and fostered more complex and resilient microbial networks with a higher proportion of biocontrol-associated modules. Structural equation modeling revealed that organic components (protein and cellulose) had stronger direct effects on pathogen inhibition than microbial community structure. These findings highlight the critical role of feedstock composition in shaping both microbial ecology and disease-suppressive function in compost, providing a scientific basis for designing targeted bio-organic amendments.Relevance:This dataset contributes to understanding how compost organic matter heterogeneity drives microbial assembly and function, with implications for sustainable agriculture and soilborne disease management. The microbial community profiles and associated metabolic predictions offer a resource for further exploring microbial mechanisms underlying compost suppressiveness.