Breeding toward improved ecological plant-microbiome interactions

Domestication processes, amplified by breeding programs, have allowed the selection of more productive genotypes and more suitable crop lines capable of coping with the changing climate. Notwithstanding these advancements, the impact of plant breeding on the ecology of plant-microbiome interactions has not been adequately considered yet. This includes the possible exploitation of beneficial plant-microbe interactions to develop crops with improved performance and better adaptability to any environmental scenario. Here we discuss the exploitation of customized synthetic microbial communities in agricultural systems to develop more sustainable breeding strategies based on the implementation of multiple interactions between plants and their beneficial associated microorganisms.

Automated summary

Plant breeding has contributed to the development of more productive and climate-adaptive crop varieties, but its impact on plant-microbiome interactions has been overlooked. This article discusses the use of synthetic microbial communities to improve breeding strategies based on beneficial plant-microbe interactions in agricultural systems.