The microbiome is a community of microorganisms within a defined habitat, with distinct physicochemical properties and interactions with its environment (Berg et al., 2020). The mycobiome refers to the fungal community present in a habitat and its activities (Berg et al., 2020). The root mycobiome plays a direct role in plant productivity, and the study of community composition within the rhizosphere allows for identification of organisms – both beneficial and pathogenic – that influence plant health (Patel et al., 2015; Rashid et al., 2016). Root-associated mycobiomes are dynamically affected by both the surrounding biotic and abiotic conditions in the soil and the host plant itself (Tkacz and Poole, 2015; Muneer et al., 2021). The rhizosphere consists of the soil that is in direct contact with the roots of a plant and is a hot spot of microbial diversity and dynamic interactions (Hinsinger et al., 2009). Root exudates stimulate the growth of microorganisms in the vicinity of the roots, leading to soil around the roots that is incredibly rich with microbes, including plant-beneficial organisms and plant pathogens (Berg and Smalla, 2009). Through this process of root exudation, the plant feeds the microbial community in the soil, directly influencing its composition and activities. The soil that is not associated with the rhizosphere, bulk soil, is not penetrated by active plant roots and typically has lower microbial activity, reflecting the lower availability of labile carbon sources there (Ai et al., 2012). The microbial community of bulk soil may or may not be less diverse than in the rhizosphere (DeAngelis et al., 2009; Wang et al., 2021), but the members represent a ‘candidate pool’ awaiting stimulation to activity and may thus have less direct correlation with the health of the plant community.