ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 metabarcode sequencing of peach fruit mycobiome
The aim of the study was to reveal the fungal organisms in the peach fruit surface mycobiome throughout the growth season of the host which corresponds to June, July, and August months, and compare the diversity and occurrence percentages of the present species. Revealing the mycobiome structures of agriculturally important produce contributes to the development and optimization of management strategies against fungal pathogens that protect the natural state of the fungal diversity for disease prevention and healthy produce. While multiple studies are performed to enlighten the mycobiome structure, the dynamics of the mycobiome at different stages and times are often neglected. To understand the dynamics of fungal species at different times and developmental stages, peach fruits were sampled from a commercial orchard in June, July, and August and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 targeted metabarcoding was performed after the DNA isolation from the surface tissues of the fruit samples. The target region encompassing the ITS1 and ITS2 regions enabled genus-level taxonomic annotation, and a significant decrease in diversity was observed from June to August. The diversity and occurrence percentages also contributed to the understanding of fungal interactions. Additionally, a fungal species that was previously undetected in the region was discovered in the mycobiome. The findings provide datasets for mycobiome studies, contribute to enlightening fungal-fungal interactions and provide insights for management strategies against fungi.