Urban Compost Microbiomes of New York City Farms Metagenome
We investigated how arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) influence tomato nutrition and rhizosphere microbial communities across three New York City urban farms using compost blended with reclaimed sediments. The study examined Solanum lycopersicum grown under AMF, PSB, and co-inoculation treatments to understand how microbial amendments interact with urban compost systems. Metagenomic and metaproteomic profiling was used to characterize shifts in rhizosphere structure, microbial interactions, and functional processes associated with inoculation. We also evaluated how co-inoculation affects nutrient acquisition pathways, microbial communication, and ecological feedbacks within the rhizosphere. This work provides an integrated assessment of how AMF and PSB inoculation shapes plant-microbe dynamics in urban agricultural environments.