Climate change impacts on plant pathogens, food security and paths forward

Abstract

Plant disease outbreaks pose significant risks to global food security and environmental sustainability worldwide, and result in the loss of primary productivity and biodiversity that negatively impact the environmental and socio-economic conditions of affected regions. Climate change further increases outbreak risks by altering pathogen evolution and host–pathogen interactions and facilitating the emergence of new pathogenic strains. Pathogen range can shift, increasing the spread of plant diseases in new areas. In this Review, we examine how plant disease pressures are likely to change under future climate scenarios and how these changes will relate to plant productivity in natural and agricultural ecosystems. We explore current and future impacts of climate change on pathogen biogeography, disease incidence and severity, and their effects on natural ecosystems, agriculture and food production. We propose that amendment of the current conceptual framework and incorporation of eco-evolutionary theories into research could improve our mechanistic understanding and prediction of pathogen spread in future climates, to mitigate the future risk of disease outbreaks. We highlight the need for a science–policy interface that works closely with relevant intergovernmental organizations to provide effective monitoring and management of plant disease under future climate scenarios, to ensure long-term food and nutrient security and sustainability of natural ecosystems.

TheMarchantiapangenome reveals ancient mechanisms of plant adaptation to the environment

“…ruderalis to infection by the pathogen Phytophthora palmivora 36 , and to various abiotic stresses 11 , allowed to identify 97 of them differentially regulated in at least one tested condition (Table S8). Among them, the coiled-coil NLR (CNL) MpNBS-LRR11 (Mp4g08790), one of the top 3% of genes under balancing selection (Table S3), was found differentially expressed during infection with P. palmivora and was detected in GEA for biovariables linked to hot and humid conditions often linked to higher pathogen pressure 37 . MpNBS-LRR11 may thus play a role in the adaptation of M. polymorpha to pathogens.…”

Battle of the bugs: how an oomycete pathogen shapes the microbiota of its host

“…Moreover, during pathogen attack, plants actively attract microbes into their microbiota from the surrounding environment that can mitigate disease either by directly antagonizing the pathogen, or through stimulation of plant immune responses (Teixeira et al ., 2019). In addition to host‐plant genetics and environmental cues, intermicrobial interactions greatly influence microbiota compositions (Singh et al ., 2023). In an article published in this issue of New Phytologist , Gómez‐Pérez et al .…”

“…Moreover, during pathogen attack, plants actively attract microbes into their microbiota from the surrounding environment that can mitigate disease either by directly antagonizing the pathogen, or through stimulation of plant immune responses (Teixeira et al, 2019). In addition to host-plant genetics and environmental cues, intermicrobial interactions greatly influence microbiota compositions (Singh et al, 2023). In an article published in this issue of New Phytologist, G omez-P erez et al (2023,(2320)(2321)(2322)(2323)(2324)(2325)(2326)(2327)(2328)(2329)(2330)(2331)(2332)(2333)(2334) describe the investigation of molecular mechanisms underlying intermicrobial interactions between a pathogenic oomycete and its host-plant microbiota (G omez-P erez et al, 2023).…”

Exploring the connectivity between rhizosphere microbiomes and the plant genes: A way forward for sustainable increase in primary productivity

“…These functions encompass the provision of essential nutrients, phytohormones and metabolites, as well as conferring resistance and resilience against both biotic and abiotic stressors in the rhizosphere microbiome (Bai et al, 2022; Müller et al, 2015; Orozco‐Mosqueda et al, 2022; Raza et al, 2021). For example, rhizosphere microbiomes depend on root exudates for carbon, and in return, provide nutrients (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus) from the soil, and tolerance to a number of plant pathogens (Singh, Delgado‐Baquerizo, et al, 2023; Singh, Yan, et al, 2023; Trivedi et al, 2021; de Vries et al, 2020). To facilitate this, there is growing evidence to support that plant selects microbiota that can colonize its root (rhizoplane) and surrounding areas (rhizosphere).…”