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Belowground Microbiota and the Health of Tree Crops

Summary

This research examines how beneficial soil microorganisms help tree crops grow and stay healthy. These microscopic organisms form complex relationships with tree roots that can improve nutrient uptake, protect against diseases, and help trees cope with environmental stress. Understanding these relationships is crucial for developing more sustainable tree farming practices. Impacts on everyday life: – Healthier fruit and nut trees leading to better crop yields – More environmentally-friendly farming methods using natural soil microbes instead of chemicals – Better protection of trees against diseases without synthetic pesticides – Improved soil health and reduced environmental impact of tree agriculture – More resilient trees that can better withstand climate stress

Background

Trees are crucial for sustaining life on Earth, providing essential products, preventing soil erosion, supporting biodiversity, and mitigating climate change. The soil/rhizosphere/root-associated microbial communities (microbiota) are decisive for tree fitness, development and productivity through processes that enhance nutrient assimilation and protect against various constraints. Understanding these belowground interactions is critical for developing sustainable management approaches.

Objective

To review and analyze the belowground microbiota interactions that influence tree crop growth, including methodological approaches to study these communities, factors affecting their interactions with trees, their benefits and harms, with focus on biological control agents against key constraints of tree crops.

Results

The review found that beneficial soil microbiota promote tree growth through nutrient uptake enhancement, stress tolerance, and disease protection. Key beneficial groups include mycorrhizal fungi, endophytes, diazotrophic bacteria, and nematode-associated microbes. Harmful components include soil-borne pathogens like Phytophthora, Verticillium, and Armillaria. Multiple factors influence these communities including climate, soil properties, plant genotype, and agricultural practices.

Conclusion

A holistic understanding of tree-microbiota interactions is needed to develop effective management strategies. Multi-omic approaches combined with other methods provide better knowledge of the complex trophic networks in soil. This understanding is crucial for designing new microbial consortia to optimize plant production and disease control in tree crop systems.
  • Published in:Frontiers in Microbiology,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01006
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