This study investigates the diversity and heritability of the maize rhizosphere microbiome under field conditions. The researchers characterized the bacterial diversity of 27 modern maize inbreds grown in five field environments, each with unique soils and management conditions. Using pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes, they observed significant variation in bacterial richness, diversity, and relative abundances between bulk soil and the maize rhizosphere, as well as between fields. The rhizospheres of maize inbreds showed both a small but significant proportion of heritable variation in total bacterial diversity across fields and substantial heritable variation between replicates within each field. The study suggests that genetic variation within maize species significantly influences the composition of the rhizosphere microbiota, and that these interactions are influenced by the field environment. The findings highlight the importance of considering both host genotype and environmental factors when studying plant-microbe interactions, and provide a foundation for further research to identify robust heritable plant-microbe interactions for breeding purposes.This study investigates the diversity and heritability of the maize rhizosphere microbiome under field conditions. The researchers characterized the bacterial diversity of 27 modern maize inbreds grown in five field environments, each with unique soils and management conditions. Using pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes, they observed significant variation in bacterial richness, diversity, and relative abundances between bulk soil and the maize rhizosphere, as well as between fields. The rhizospheres of maize inbreds showed both a small but significant proportion of heritable variation in total bacterial diversity across fields and substantial heritable variation between replicates within each field. The study suggests that genetic variation within maize species significantly influences the composition of the rhizosphere microbiota, and that these interactions are influenced by the field environment. The findings highlight the importance of considering both host genotype and environmental factors when studying plant-microbe interactions, and provide a foundation for further research to identify robust heritable plant-microbe interactions for breeding purposes.