Unveiling Potato Cultivars With Microbiome Interactive Traits for Sustainable Agricultural Production

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Microbiology
• Plant Breeding

Background:

• Root traits critically influence rhizosphere microbiomes, but this interaction is often neglected in plant breeding.
• Developing sustainable agriculture requires integrating plant-microbe interactions into breeding programs to reduce synthetic inputs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate the concept of microbiome interactive traits (MIT) for selecting potato cultivars.
• To assess the correlation between root traits, rhizosphere microbiome composition, and plant performance in 51 potato cultivars.

Main Methods:

• A stepwise selection process (in silico and in vitro) identified 51 potato cultivars based on phenotypical properties and root exudate patterns.
• Greenhouse experiments evaluated cultivar capacity for soil microbiome interaction and calculated MIT scores using plant growth, metabolomic, and microbiome data.
• Z-scores aggregated diverse data, classifying cultivars along a gradient of MIT.

Main Results:

• Potato cultivars significantly impact plant growth, leaf and root metabolite profiles, and rhizosphere fungal communities.
• A positive correlation was found between rhizosphere microbial diversity and root biomass.
• Leaf metabolites correlated with rhizosphere bacterial composition, supporting the plant holobiont concept.

Conclusions:

• Microbiome interactive traits (MIT) offer a novel framework for selecting plant cultivars that promote sustainable agriculture.
• Eleven potato cultivars with high MIT scores were identified as promising candidates for low-input production systems.
• This study provides tools to integrate microbiome considerations into breeding goals for enhanced crop resilience and productivity.