Table 3 The microbial taxonomic structure and mean relative abundance at phylum level from sunflower rhizosphere and bulk soils obtained from Sheila and Itsoseng farms

Firmicutes

39.74 ± 6.54

31.82 ± 9.93

12.11 ± 8.56

9.54 ± 0.08

Proteobacteria

29.47 ± 0.55

33.68 ± 18.81

12.67 ± 8.96

11.49 ± 1.19

unclassified (derived from Bacteria)

19.29 ± 2.36

27.72 ± 13.15

28.97 ± 20.48

23.48 ± 1.97

Actinobacteria

6.22 ± 1.59

3.59 ± 2.71

26.41 ± 18.66

19.50 ± 1.29

Bacteroidetes

1.58 ± 0.91

0.83 ± 0.29

3.14 ± 2.22

3.75 ± 0.29

Thaumarchaeota

0.92 ± 0.08

0.49 ± 0.44

8.25 ± 5.83

19.40 ± 2.82

Gemmatimonadetes

0.51 ± 0.08

0.46 ± 0.21

0.83 ± 0.59

1.43 ± 0.17

unclassified (derived from unclassified sequences)

0.36 ± 0.24

0.23 ± 0.17

1.35 ± 0.95

1.16 ± 0.06

Cyanobacteria

0.26 ± 0.24

0.03 ± 0.01

0.07 ± 0.05

0.06 ± 0.00

Acidobacteria

0.37 ± 0.08

0.29 ± 0.07

1.68 ± 1.18

3.59 ± 0.01

Verrucomicrobia

0.31 ± 0.13

0.33 ± 0.07

2.23 ± 1.58

3.99 ± 0.61

Planctomycetes

0.22 ± 0.12

0.10 ± 0.03

0.34 ± 0.24

0.49 ± 0.02

Chloroflexi

0.22 ± 0.09

0.14 ± 0.11

0.66 ± 0.46

0.53 ± 0.10

Nitrospirae

0.16 ± 0.07

0.11 ± 0.08

0.36 ± 0.25

0.77 ± 0.00

Crenarchaeota

0.23 ± 0.03

0.07 ± 0.06

0.66 ± 0.47

0.11 ± 0.05

Spirochaetes

0.06 ± 0.00

0.04 ± 0.03

0.20 ± 0.14

0.53 ± 0.12

Chlamydiae

0.02 ± 0.02

0.01 ± 0.00

0.01 ± 0.01

0.05 ± 0.01

Deinococcus-Thermus

0.03 ± 0.01

0.03 ± 0.02

0.02 ± 0.01

0.01 ± 0.00

Fibrobacteres

0.02 ± 0.01

0.01 ± 0.01

0.00 ± 0.00

0.00 ± 0.00

Tenericutes

0.01 ± 0.00

0.01 ± 0.01

0.01 ± 0.01

0.01 ± 0.00

Aquificae

0.00 ± 0.00

0.00 ± 0.00

0.01 ± 0.01

0.01 ± 0.00

Chlorobi

0.00 ± 0.00

0.01 ± 0.01

0.00 ± 0.00

0.02 ± 0.00

Dictyoglomi

0.00 ± 0.00

0.00 ± 0.00

0.01 ± 0.01

0.07 ± 0.01

Synergistetes

0.00 ± 0.00

0.00 ± 0.00

0.01 ± 0.00

0.01 ± 0.01