There is a growing interest in the application of beneficial microbial interactions in agriculture, and many products that stimulate the development of microorganisms can be easily obtained. However, their use raises disagreements among farmers, as not everyone understands the work of these tiny plant helpers, and some means have disappointed agricultural producers. They hoped for an instant increase in yields, but, for example, even in a productive year, this did not happen. Now it becomes clear why.
Professor Nancy Collins Johnson from the Faculty of Biological Sciences and Sustainable Development at Northern Arizona University, as well as Professor Cesar Marin from the University of Santo Tomas in Chile, present compelling evidence in their research, published in the ISME Journal, in favor of a deeper study of plant microbial communities.
"Functional microbial groups can adapt to help plants thrive in challenging conditions. When resources are scarce, with time and a variety of beneficial microorganisms, plants and fungi coexisting in nature can establish mutually beneficial relationships that promote plant growth. Functional groups are rarely active in favorable conditions without stress and in the presence of an excess of resources because they lack the selection pressure necessary to control the composition of microbial communities. These findings are reflected in studies showing that fertilizing natural flora often reduces the benefits of symbiosis with mycorrhiza by depriving it of the necessary selective pressure," explained Johnson.
Today, we see success in developing efficient inoculants and in understanding how participants in microbial communities interact on different crops.
Researchers emphasize the importance of developing Functional Trait Selection (FTS) methodologies to predict conditions important for the local adaptation of root microbiomes to their host plants. This approach views plants and their microbial communities as complex adaptive systems, and plant adaptations as important properties of these systems, not inherent to their individual parts.
If plants are able to recognize and support beneficial microorganisms, as well as suppress pathogens, they are able to evolve by managing their microbiomes.
In conditions of limited resources and stress, important emergent functions of complex microbial systems contribute to positive feedback related to plant energy and ultimately to their local adaptation. As researchers claim, key factors in this process are: 1) selection, 2) plant characteristics, 3) biodiversity, and 4) time. The main goal is to develop robust and efficient plant-microbiome systems that promote increased productivity and reduced diseases.
