Table 4 The microbial taxonomic structure and relative abundance at genus and/or generic level from sunflower rhizosphere and bulk soils obtained from Sheila and Itsoseng farms

Bacillus

34.65 ± 9.95

29.50 ± 10.39

9.91 ± 2.69

6.95 ± 0.68

unclassified (derived from Bacteria)

21.29 ± 3.08

29.16 ± 13.21

37.32 ± 10.83

33.79 ± 2.72

Pseudomonas

25.05 ± 1.71

29.56 ± 18.98

5.59 ± 1.83

1.67 ± 0.47

Staphylococcus

3.51 ± 3.28

0.21 ± 0.03

0.05 ± 0.02

0.01 ± 0.01

Vagococcus

2.02 ± 0.14

1.39 ± 0.28

0.53 ± 0.33

0.09 ± 0.01

Arthrobacter

1.56 ± 0.33

1.19 ± 1.03

8.30 ± 3.00

1.64 ± 0.03

Rubrobacter

1.07 ± 0.36

0.77 ± 0.59

10.74 ± 8.13

7.46 ± 1.74

Brevundimonas

1.21 ± 0.01

1.47 ± 0.39

0.50 ± 0.34

0.08 ± 0.02

Candidatus Nitrososphaera

1.02 ± 0.11

0.54 ± 0.48

10.48 ± 0.94

27.16 ± 2.22

unclassified (derived from Betaproteobacteria)

0.76 ± 0.29

1.12 ± 0.07

1.34 ± 0.79

1.56 ± 0.25

unclassified (derived from Gammaproteobacteria)

0.58 ± 0.26

0.47 ± 0.16

0.82 ± 0.19

1.13 ± 0.21

unclassified (derived from Deltaproteobacteria)

0.54 ± 0.27

0.49 ± 0.03

1.72 ± 0.29

2.71 ± 0.31

unclassified (derived from Alphaproteobacteria)

0.55 ± 0.19

0.53 ± 0.28

1.72 ± 0.19

2.48 ± 0.01

Lysinibacillus

0.48 ± 0.22

0.47 ± 0.04

0.18 ± 0.09

0.37 ± 0.08

Terrimonas

0.54 ± 0.14

0.30 ± 0.20

2.24 ± 0.62

2.95 ± 0.10

Gemmatimonas

0.57 ± 0.11

0.49 ± 0.24

1.06 ± 0.16

2.01 ± 0.21

unclassified (derived from unclassified sequences)

0.40 ± 0.27

0.25 ± 0.19

1.68 ± 0.25

1.64 ± 0.09

Paenibacillus

0.49 ± 0.10

0.33 ± 0.28

0.69 ± 0.29

0.16 ± 0.00

Mitsuaria

0.27 ± 0.27

0.00 ± 0.00

0.02 ± 0.01

0.04 ± 0.04

Clostridium

0.35 ± 0.15

0.16 ± 0.09

0.19 ± 0.02

0.57 ± 0.20

Streptomyces

0.32 ± 0.12

0.19 ± 0.16

1.12 ± 0.35

2.79 ± 0.47

Chroococcidiopsis

0.21 ± 0.21

0.00 ± 0.00

0.00 ± 0.00

0.00 ± 0.00

Sphingobacterium

0.22 ± 0.19

0.00 ± 0.00

0.02 ± 0.02

0.08 ± 0.07

Geodermatophilus

0.26 ± 0.14

0.15 ± 0.11

1.30 ± 0.31

0.66 ± 0.02

Alcaligenes

0.25 ± 0.14

0.19 ± 0.07

0.10 ± 0.03

0.02 ± 0.01

Oxalicibacterium

0.19 ± 0.19

0.00 ± 0.00

0.04 ± 0.01

0.03 ± 0.01

Candidatus Amoebophilus

0.19 ± 0.18

0.02 ± 0.01

0.05 ± 0.03

0.25 ± 0.04

Sphingomonas

0.18 ± 0.15

0.01 ± 0.00

0.15 ± 0.07

0.11 ± 0.03

Bradyrhizobium

0.20 ± 0.12

0.09 ± 0.06

0.62 ± 0.47

0.84 ± 0.43

Acinetobacter

0.19 ± 0.12

0.22 ± 0.05

0.10 ± 0.05

0.01 ± 0.00

unclassified (derived from Nitrosomonadales)

0.16 ± 0.14

0.01 ± 0.00

0.12 ± 0.07

0.11 ± 0.00

Nocardioides

0.23 ± 0.07

0.18 ± 0.13

0.91 ± 0.11

0.20 ± 0.04

unclassified (derived from Enterobacteriaceae)

0.16 ± 0.14

0.19 ± 0.07

0.16 ± 0.13

0.20 ± 0.02

Cystobacter

0.17 ± 0.12

0.20 ± 0.18

0.06 ± 0.01

0.20 ± 0.04

Cellulomonas

0.16 ± 0.09

0.15 ± 0.15

0.17 ± 0.06

0.03 ± 0.01