Genome-Resolved Metagenomics of Rice Straw Degradation Experiments in Colombian Fields

Abstract

Extensive rice harvesting yields more than 800 million tons of rice straw (RS) per year globally, generating a byproduct that is often difficult for farmers to manage efficiently without burning it. In the quest for enhanced RS degradation systems, we recovered 146 Metagenome-Assembled Genomes (MAGs) from experiments aiming at decomposing RS. Such assays included the application of a Bacillus strain, a Trichoderma-based commercial product, organic and inorganic compounds in different combinations during a solid-state fermentation in Colombian rice fields. The set of MAGs comprises 30 MAGs from bulk soil and 116 MAGs from RS surface, for which taxonomic classification indicates that 67% of them may constitute novel taxa. Furthermore, functional analysis through different approaches suggests the presence of both mid-quality and high-quality MAGs with potential to biotransform RS within this dataset. Finally, these MAGs represent a valuable resource for exploring uncharacterized microbial diversity in Colombian agricultural ecosystems.