The Floral Microbiome and Its Management in Agroecosystems: A Perspective

Burgess, Emily C.; Schaeffer, Robert N.

doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.2c02037

Cited by 13 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…AMF can facilitate water and nutrient acquisition (phosphorus and nitrogen) and support host defenses against pathogen attack (Hohmann and Messmer, 2017;Chen et al, 2018;Xi et al, 2022). In contrast to rhizocompartments, above ground microorganisms associated with plants are under strong selective pressure because they are continually exposed to changing environmental conditions (rainfall, heat, and UV radiation) and agricultural practices (agrochemical sprays) but are also influenced by the host phenology (Vorholt, 2012;Burgess and Schaeffer, 2022;Ginnan et al, 2022). The strong year effect measured on bacteriome and mycobiome betadiversity for above ground tissues clearly support the evidence that microbiome composition in flower and flush is volatile and under environmental constraints.…”

Section: Frontiers In Microbiology 08mentioning

confidence: 65%

“…Both flower and flush are short-lived organs. Flowers host a unique set of microbes that may act as mediators of host reproduction and disease control (Burgess and Schaeffer, 2022). The flush is also a tender tissue fed on by several insect pests, including the Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri) vector of CLas, the causal bacterial agent of HLB (Hall and Albrigo, 2007), and profiling its microbiome could reveal potential biocontrol agents for HLB management.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Microbiome diversity, composition and assembly in a California citrus orchard

Stajich²,

El-Kereamy³

et al. 2023

Front. Microbiol.

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The citrus root and rhizosphere microbiomes have been relatively well described in the literature, especially in the context of Huanglonbing disease. Yet questions addressing the assembly of root microbial endophytes have remained unanswered. In the above ground tree tissues, leaves and stems have been the research focus point, while flush and flower microbiomes, two important tissues in the vegetative and reproductive cycles of the tree, are not well described. In this study, the fungal and bacterial taxa in five biocompartments (bulk soil, rhizosphere, root endosphere, flower and flush) of citrus trees grown in a single California orchard were profiled using an amplicon-based metagenomic Illumina sequencing approach. Trees with no observable signs of abiotic or biotic stresses were sampled for two consecutive years during the floral development phase. The rhizosphere was the most biodiverse compartment compared to bulk soil, root endosphere, flower and flush microbiomes. In addition, the belowground bacteriome was more diverse than the mycobiome. Microbial richness decreased significantly from the root exosphere to the endosphere and was overall low in the above ground tissues. Root endophytic microbial community composition shared strong similarities to the rhizosphere but also contained few taxa from above ground tissues. Our data indicated compartmentalization of the microbiome with distinct profiles between above and below ground microbial communities. However, several taxa were present across all compartments suggesting the existence of a core citrus microbiota. These findings highlight key microbial taxa that could be engineered as biopesticides and biofertilizers for citriculture.

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Section: Frontiers In Microbiology 08mentioning

confidence: 65%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbiome diversity, composition and assembly in a California citrus orchard

Stajich²,

El-Kereamy³

et al. 2023

Front. Microbiol.

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“…In conclusion, our study explored the effects of NNs on common and geographically widespread species of NIMs. Our work contributes to the growing interest in understanding how different factors-local and landscape, biotic and abiotic-contribute to the diversity and distribution of nectar and phyllosphere microbe communities in agricultural ecosystems (Burgess & Schaeffer, 2022;Noel et al, 2022;Schaeffer et al, 2021). A wide range of hypotheses remains to be tested regarding the nontarget effects of agrochemicals on NIMs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…However, knowledge of how NNs may affect NIMs is lacking. Such information is important for predicting how chemical‐induced impacts on floral microbes may affect pollinator behaviour, pollination, crop yield, biocontrol efforts and other critical aspects of agriculture (Burgess & Schaeffer, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nontarget impacts of neonicotinoids on nectar‐inhabiting microbes

Cecala,

Vannette

2024

Environmental Microbiology

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Plant‐systemic neonicotinoid (NN) insecticides can exert non‐target impacts on organisms like beneficial insects and soil microbes. NNs can affect plant microbiomes, but we know little about their effects on microbial communities that mediate plant‐insect interactions, including nectar‐inhabiting microbes (NIMs). Here we employed two approaches to assess the impacts of NN exposure on several NIM taxa. First, we assayed the in vitro effects of six NN compounds on NIM growth using plate assays. Second, we inoculated a standardised NIM community into the nectar of NN‐treated canola (Brassica napus) and assessed microbial survival and growth after 24 h. With few exceptions, in vitro NN exposure tended to decrease bacterial growth metrics. However, the magnitude of the decrease and the NN concentrations at which effects were observed varied substantially across bacteria. Yeasts showed no consistent in vitro response to NNs. In nectar, we saw no effects of NN treatment on NIM community metrics. Rather, NIM abundance and diversity responded to inherent plant qualities like nectar volume. In conclusion, we found no evidence that NIMs respond to field‐relevant NN levels in nectar within 24 h, but our study suggests that context, specifically assay methods, time and plant traits, is important in assaying the effects of NNs on microbial communities.

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“…Among plants tissues, the flower and its associated microbiome represents an important target for both study and management (Burgess & Schaeffer, 2022; Vannette, 2020). While flowers are not necessarily sterile upon anthesis (Vannette, 2020), it is after opening that flowers tend to acquire their microbiome, with microbes dispersing to floral tissues via air, water or insect visitation (Keller et al, 2021; Thomson & Gouk, 1992).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disease management during bloom affects the floral microbiome but not pollination in a mass‐flowering crop

Schaeffer

Crowder

Illán

et al. 2022

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Flowering crops are heavily managed during bloom to both promote pollination and prevent disease. Disease management practices can alter the floral microbiome, including pathogens and nontarget microbes. However, whether agrochemical presence or altered microbiome composition affect pollinator foraging and pollination services is unclear. We assessed effects of orchard management tactics and landscape context on the flower microbiome in almond, Prunus dulcis. Fourteen orchards (five conventional, four organic and five conventional with habitat augmentation) were sampled at early and peak bloom to characterize bacterial and fungal communities associated with floral tissues. The surveys were complemented by an artificial flower experiment to assess effects of fungicides and microbes on honey bee foraging. Finally, a field trial was conducted to test effects of fungicides and microbes on pollination. As bloom progressed, bacterial and fungal abundance and diversity increased across all floral tissue types and management strategies. The magnitude by which microbial abundance and diversity were affected varied, with proximity to apiaries and orchard management having notable effects on bacteria and fungi respectively. Experiments revealed that fungicides reduced nectar removal by honey bees; however, neither fungicide nor microbe treatments affected pollination, as measured through pollen tube initiation and growth. Synthesis and applications. Our results reveal that microbiota associated with flowers of a pollinator‐dependent crop are temporally dynamic and sensitive to management practices. However, pollination services in almond may be resilient to both agrochemical disturbance and microbial augmentation of flowers, the latter of which may become more prominent as microbial solutions to disease management are embraced in agroecosystems.

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The Floral Microbiome and Its Management in Agroecosystems: A Perspective

Cited by 13 publications

References 72 publications

Microbiome diversity, composition and assembly in a California citrus orchard

Microbiome diversity, composition and assembly in a California citrus orchard

Nontarget impacts of neonicotinoids on nectar‐inhabiting microbes

Disease management during bloom affects the floral microbiome but not pollination in a mass‐flowering crop

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