The chemical interaction between plants and the rhizosphere microbiome
Harro J. Bouwmeester, Lemeng Dong, Kathrin Wippel, Twan Hofland, Age K. Smilde
Abstract
Research into the interaction between plants and the soil microbiota has expanded rapidly and is unravelling a plethora of interactions between plants and their root microbiota. The rhizosphere exhibits remarkable chemical diversity, driven by an evolutionary arms race. Through these chemicals, plants shape the rhizosphere microbiome using different mechanisms: organic carbon provision, antimicrobial compound production, and exudation of microbiota recruitment signals. Modern high-input agriculture may have diminished the role of natural chemical interactions and modern crops may have lost some of the relevant traits. As our understanding of root-rhizosphere interactions grows, harnessing natural mechanisms for agricultural sustainability becomes increasingly viable, potentially helping agriculture to counteract growing challenges from environmental stresses, climate change, and rising input costs.