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The Soil Ecosystem

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Updated: Mar 26, 2026

Inoculation Strategies to Infect Plant Roots with Soil-Borne Microorganisms

Inoculation Strategies to Infect Plant Roots with Soil-Borne Microorganisms

Published on: March 1, 2022

The Soil-Borne Supremacy.

Corné M J Pieterse¹, Ronnie de Jonge², Roeland L Berendsen¹

¹Plant-Microbe Interactions, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 800.56, 3508 Utrecht TB, The Netherlands.

Trends in Plant Science

|February 9, 2016

Summary

The plant

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Last Updated: Mar 26, 2026

Inoculation Strategies to Infect Plant Roots with Soil-Borne Microorganisms

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Published on: March 1, 2022

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Published on: August 6, 2025

Area of Science:

Plant Science
Microbiology
Genetics

Background:

The rhizosphere microbiome influences plant growth, nutrition, and health.
Understanding plant-microbe interactions is crucial for agriculture.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how plant genotype shapes the rhizosphere microbiome.
To explore the link between rhizosphere microbial communities and plant fitness.

Main Methods:

Analyzing rhizosphere microbial community composition.
Correlating microbial profiles with plant genotype and fitness traits.

Main Results:

Plant genotype significantly influences the composition of the rhizosphere microbiome.
Specific microbial community structures are associated with improved plant fitness.

Conclusions:

Harnessing genotype-dependent microbiome selection offers a promising avenue for crop improvement.
Breeding for enhanced soil-borne traits can boost crop resilience and productivity.