Embracing the complexity of plant-microbe-insect interactions under a changing climate for sustainable agriculture

Using beneficial soil bacteria to promote plant growth and reduce pests is a promising direction for sustainable agriculture. However, we need to understand the ecological basis of these interactions in order to identify those with the greatest potential to have an impact in the field. To do this, we need to embrace the complexity of multifactorial experiments to observe the strength of benefits across variable environments. I briefly review the recent literature on plant-microbe-insect interactions across changing environments, focusing on those using multiple factors. I finish by exploring ecological research approaches and multifactorial experimental designs that can be used to simplify the study of plant-microbe-insect interactions.