| Summary: | Phosphorous (P) is widely used in agriculture; yet, P fertilizers are a nonrenewable resource. Thus, mechanisms to improve soil P bioavailability need to be found. Legumes are efficient in P acquisition and, therefore, could be used to develop new technologies to improve soil P bioavailability. Here, we studied different species and varieties of legumes and their rhizosphere microbiome responses to low-P stress. Some varieties of common beans, cowpeas, and peas displayed a similar biomass with and without P fertilization. The rhizosphere microbiome of those varieties grown without P was composed of unique microbes displaying different levels of P solubilization and mineralization. When those varieties were amended with P, some of the microbes involved in P solubilization and mineralization decreased in abundance, but other microbes were insensitive to P fertilization. The microbes that decreased in abundance upon P fertilization belonged to groups that are commonly used as biofertilizers such as <i>Pseudomonas</i> and <i>Azospirillum.</i> The microbes that were not affected by P fertilization constitute unique species involved in P mineralization such as <i>Arenimonas daejeonensis</i>, <i>Hyphomicrobium hollandicum, Paenibacillus oenotherae,</i> and <i>Microlunatus speluncae</i>. These P-insensitive microbes could be used to optimize P utilization and drive future sustainable agricultural practices to reduce human dependency on a nonrenewable resource.
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