Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
Nat Plants. 2021 Mar;7(3):256-267. doi: 10.1038/s41477-020-00830-9. Epub 2021 Mar 8.
Substantial efforts to characterize the structural and functional diversity of soil, plant and insect-associated microbial communities have illuminated the complex interacting domains of crop-associated microbiomes that contribute to agroecosystem health. As a result, plant-associated microorganisms have emerged as an untapped resource for combating challenges to agricultural sustainability. However, despite growing interest in maximizing microbial functions for crop production, resource efficiency and stress resistance, research has struggled to harness the beneficial properties of agricultural microbiomes to improve crop performance. Here, we introduce the historical arc of agricultural microbiome research, highlighting current progress and emerging strategies for intentional microbiome manipulation to enhance crop performance and sustainability. We synthesize current practices and limitations to managing agricultural microbiomes and identify key knowledge gaps in our understanding of microbe-assisted crop production. Finally, we propose research priorities that embrace a holistic view of crop microbiomes for achieving precision microbiome management that is tailored, predictive and integrative in diverse agricultural systems.
为了充分认识土壤、植物和昆虫相关微生物群落的结构和功能多样性，人们做出了巨大的努力，这揭示了与农作物相关的微生物组的复杂相互作用域，这些作用域有助于农业生态系统的健康。因此，植物相关微生物已成为应对农业可持续性挑战的未开发资源。然而，尽管人们越来越关注最大限度地发挥微生物功能以促进作物生产、提高资源效率和增强抗逆性，但研究仍难以利用农业微生物组的有益特性来提高作物的性能。在这里，我们介绍了农业微生物组研究的历史轨迹，重点介绍了目前为了提高作物性能和可持续性而进行的有意微生物组操作的最新进展和新兴策略。我们综合了目前管理农业微生物组的实践和局限性，并确定了我们在理解微生物辅助作物生产方面的关键知识差距。最后，我们提出了研究重点，即采用整体的作物微生物组观点，实现精准的微生物组管理，以适应不同农业系统的定制化、可预测和综合性。
