Harnessing beneficial microbes to boost sprout and microgreen production: current knowledge and future perspectives

The consumption of sprouts and microgreens has garnered significant attentions due to their health benefits and delightful flavors. Various strategies have been proposed to boost their production, with recent studies exemplified the advantages of microbial elicitation. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the application of beneficial microbes and their metabolites in enhancing the sprouts and microgreens production. These microbes are mainly plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and endophytes, dominated by the genera from Bacillus, Exiguobacterium, Pseudomonas, and Enterobacter. They can increase the yield and nutritional qualities of sprouts and microgreens, and defense against plant pathogens. Their beneficial effects are attributed to activated plant immune system via phytohormones and reactive oxygen species, enhanced soil nutrient availability via nitrogen fixation and solubilization of insoluble minerals, and production of plant growth stimulants (e.g. polysaccharides and peptides). However, research gaps need to be addressed in the future, including the dynamic shifts of microbial communities and the edible safety of applied microbes throughout cultivation and storage, as well as their potentials in defending against foodborne pathogens.