A culture-independent 16 S rRNA gene-based profiling of the sugarcane phyllosphere bacterial community in Western Uttar Pradesh, India.

This study characterizes the sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) phyllosphere bacterial community in Western Uttar Pradesh, India, using culture-independent16S rRNA gene sequencing. Samples from saline-affected Shamli (S-group) and agrochemical-exposed Hapur (H-group) revealed distinct taxonomic profiles dominated by Pseudomonadota (50.3%), Bacteroidota (22.4%),and Bacillota (12.8%),with Pantoea, Sphingomonas, and Priestia as key genera. Hapur exhibited higher alpha diversity (Shannon index: 4.46), while beta diversity showed clear geographical clustering (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity: 0.26-0.63). Contrary to expectations, Shamli's phyllosphere, despite soil salinity, was enriched with xenobiotic-degrading taxa (Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas), likely due to foliar agrochemical deposition via saline irrigation. Hapur's community, though exposed to agrochemicals, showed abundant plant-growth-promoting taxa (Streptomyces, Bacillus), potentially facilitated by organic amendments. Functional prediction highlighted stress-response pathways in Shamli (e.g., sulfoglycolysis, reductive TCA cycle) and growth-promoting pathways in Hapur (e.g., polyamine biosynthesis). The absence of the endophytic symbiont Gluconacetobacter suggests niche exclusion by dominant phyllosphere colonizers.These findings demonstrate how phyllosphere communities diverge from soil microbiomes in stress adaptation, providing insights for region-specific microbiome management in sugarcane cultivation.