Data Sheet 2_Spatial associations among soil physicochemical properties, rhizosphere microbiota, leaf mineral status, agronomic traits, and fruit quality of white strawberry in acidic soils.zip

Bacterial richness indices, particularly ACE and Chao1, were more strongly associated with leaf mineral accumulation than individual soil physicochemical variables or enzyme activities. In contrast, fungal Shannon and Simpson diversity indices showed stronger associations with variation in fruit quality, indicating that bacterial and fungal community attributes were differentially related to distinct components of strawberry performance.

Path analysis further indicated that soil physicochemical properties were indirectly associated with plant traits primarily through bacterial α-diversity, with a particularly strong pathway linking microbial diversity to leaf mineral status. Soil-related variables accounted for a greater proportion of the variation in agronomic traits than in fruit quality. Moreover, soils enriched in different bacterial genera were associated with contrasting leaf Zn and Fe concentrations, potentially reflecting taxon-specific responses to micronutrient conditions.

Spearman correlation analysis further revealed trait-specific relationships among soil fertility, mineral profiles, vegetative performance, and fruit quality, suggesting that nutrient status was differentially associated with growth and quality attributes rather than reflecting a generalized trade-off. Collectively, these results indicate complementary but distinct microbial associations: bacterial richness was more strongly associated with variation in leaf mineral profiles, whereas fungal diversity showed more specific relationships with fruit-quality traits.

Rhizosphere microbial community attributes may therefore serve as potential ecological indicators of variation in strawberry nutritional status and fruit quality, rather than as experimentally validated causal drivers of plant performance.</p>