Exploring rhizo-microbiome transplants as a tool for protective plant-microbiome manipulation

Abstract

The development of strategies for effectively manipulating and engineering beneficial plant-associated microbiomes is a major challenge in microbial ecology. In this sense, the efficacy and potential implications of rhizosphere microbiome transplant (RMT) in plant disease management have only scarcely been explored in the literature. Here, we initially investigated potential differences in rhizosphere microbiomes of 12 Solanaceae eggplant varieties and accessed their level of resistance promoted against bacterial wilt disease caused by the pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum, in a 3-year field trial. We elected 6 resistant microbiomes and further tested the broad feasibility of using RMT from these donor varieties to a susceptible model Solanaceae tomato variety MicroTom. Overall, we found the rhizosphere microbiome of resistant varieties to enrich for distinct and specific bacterial taxa, of which some displayed significant associations with the disease suppression. Quantification of the RMT efficacy using source tracking analysis revealed more than 60% of the donor microbial communities to successfully colonize and establish in the rhizosphere of recipient plants. RTM from distinct resistant donors resulted in different levels of wilt disease suppression, reaching up to 47% of reduction in disease incidence. Last, we provide a culture-dependent validation of potential bacterial taxa associated with antagonistic interactions with the pathogen, thus contributing to a better understanding of the potential mechanism associated with the disease suppression. Our study shows RMT from appropriate resistant donors to be a promising tool to effectively modulate protective microbiomes and promote plant health. Together we advocate for future studies aiming at understanding the ecological processes and mechanisms mediating rates of coalescence between donor and recipient microbiomes in the plant rhizosphere.

Host or pathogen primed bacterial consortia alters microbial community structures in Arabidopsis roots and suppresses Fusarium oxysporum

“…Bacteroidetes is a core microbial taxon in the plant-associated microbiome and are highly enriched in some plants [64]. Several microbial species belonging to Bacteroidetes, for example Flavobacterium, Chryseobacterium and Pedobacter have been reported to inhibit microbial pathogens [29,65,66]. Flavobacterium species that were inoculated to cucumber seedlings suppressed Fusarium [67].…”

“…Moreover, microbial consortia from host plants may have a high abundance of bene cial microbes with a high functional redundancy, including antagonists that suppress pathogens [26][27][28]. Jiang et al, [29] reported the protective potential of rhizosphere microbiome consortia against the bacterial wilt pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum. Overall, a successful transfer of "primed" or induced plant-associated microbial consortia could confer both growth stimulating traits as well as enduring resistance against pathogens [28, 30,31].…”

Control Strategies of Clubroot Disease Caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae

“…At least three phases can be used for control: (i) germination of the resting spores and/or secondary spores, which initiate (ii) primary infection of the root hairs and secondary infection of the root cortex; (iii) antagonism/competition against the developing pathogen within the host root tissue. In addition, resistance induction in host plants and changes in microbial communities in the rhizosphere soil could be biological control options [ 60 ].…”

Contributions of Beneficial Microorganisms in Soil Remediation and Quality Improvement of Medicinal Plants

“…AMF biofertilizers alleviated replanting diseases of American ginseng by reducing deleterious Fusarium oxysporum , F. solani and Candidatus Solibacter [ 235 ]. Furthermore, Jiang et al [ 317 ] revealed that the rhizosphere edaphon of resistant varieties could recruit distinct bacterial taxa associated with disease suppression. It was advocated that microbial transplantation from resistant donors should be promising to modulate soil microecology and plant health.…”