Microbiome Selection Could Spur Next-Generation Plant Breeding Strategies

Area of Science:

• Plant Science
• Microbiology
• Genetics

Background:

• Plants rely on symbiotic microorganisms to adapt to environmental stresses.
• Seeds and soil are primary sources of plant-associated microbial communities.
• The plant holobiont, comprising the plant and its microbiome, is a unit of selection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the untapped genetic variability offered by the plant microbiome for crop improvement.
• To propose novel strategies for integrating microbiome research into plant breeding.
• To facilitate the development of next-generation crops with enhanced resilience and reduced input dependency.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on plant-microbe interactions and breeding strategies.
• Proposal of bottom-up approaches: reciprocal soil transplantation, artificial ecosystem selection, and microRNA transfer.
• Integration of advanced sequencing and bioinformatics with traditional culture-dependent methods.

Main Results:

• The plant microbiome provides significant genetic variability beyond host genetics.
• Microbiome-assisted breeding can lead to crops with improved stress tolerance and reduced reliance on inorganic inputs.
• Co-propagation of plants and their symbiotic microbes is essential for future breeding.

Conclusions:

• Next-generation plant breeding must consider the holobiont as a unit.
• Novel breeding approaches incorporating microbiome manipulation are crucial for agricultural sustainability.
• Bridging molecular techniques with practical applications will advance plant breeding and agriculture.