Objective   Effect of application of a microbial agent on the microbiome in soil at a Phyllostachys edulis forest was analyzed.

  Method   In a P. edulis forest, a microbial solution of Enterobacter aerogenes CT-B09-2, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens JL-B06, and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus WYS-A01-1 was applied by root irrigation onto the soil around the seedlings. Rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil samples at the spots were collected 30 d after the application for physical and chemical analyses. Total DNA in soil was extracted, and 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing performed to dissect the microbial community structure and diversity.

  Results  The applied bioagent effectively increased the available phosphorus, regulated the pH, and improved the functional activities related to material metabolism and decomposition of carbon compounds in the rhizosphere soil. There were 26 phyla, 65 classes, 158 orders, 253 families, 448 genera, and 674 species detected in the soil samples with Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteriota, Acidobacteriota, and Chloroflexi being the dominant phyla. The application significantly increased the number of species in the microbial community only in the rhizosphere soil.

  Conclusion   Application of the mixed microbial cultures significantly and positively affected the mineral contents, pH, and microbial community in the rhizosphere soil at the bamboo forest.