The root exudates of wild tomato compared to a modern variety maintain elevated soluble soil phosphorus by...

Wild plants are periodically exposed to nutrient flushes, whereas modern cultivars are acclimated to regular nutrition from fertilizers. Phosphorus (P) fertilizers, however, convert into unavailable forms in soil. Here, we assessed plant growth, rhizosphere microbiome, and root exudation of a wild and modern tomato to determine how a wild crop relative responds to a flush of P fertilization. We found that the modern tomato relatively lacked P-mineralizers and grew quickly, depleting soil P. Conversely, wild tomato continued growth and promoted an array of beneficial soil bacteria, resulting in higher bioavailable soil P across development. This microbial strategy was driven by its root exudates, which were subsequently found to be enriched in trehalose and glycerol compounds. In vitro testing showed that these compounds promoted microbial P solubilization. Finally, we grew modern tomato in P-fertilized soils following a previous planting of either wild or modern tomato. Modern tomato grown in wild tomato-conditioned soils increased biomass compared to those grown in modern tomato-conditioned soils. The change may be associated with residual soil P as the wild-induced microbial community changes diminished. The root exudate driven strategy of wild tomato helps maintain soluble soil P and may be utilized in agriculture to prevent fertilizer loss.