Summary
This review synthesises current knowledge on the wheat microbiome, examining how crop management practices, soil-environmental conditions, and plant genetics collectively shape microbial community assembly in wheat. The authors argue that understanding and leveraging the wheat microbiome—through synthetic microbial communities or single inoculants—offers a pathway to reduce agrochemical dependency whilst maintaining or enhancing crop productivity. The paper emphasises a multidisciplinary approach to translate microbiome research into practical microbial strategies for sustainable agricultural intensification.
UK applicability
The framework for understanding microbiome-driven crop production is broadly applicable to UK wheat cultivation, particularly given environmental concerns about agrochemical use and the imperative to improve sustainability. UK wheat researchers and growers could use the identified microbiome assembly factors (management, soil conditions, host genetics) to develop locally-adapted microbial strategies, though country-specific validation would be needed.
Key measures
Microbiome structure characterisation via next-generation DNA sequencing; factors influencing microbiome assembly; core microbiome definition
Outcomes reported
The paper describes factors driving wheat microbiome assembly, including crop management, edaphic-environmental conditions, and host selection. It synthesises knowledge on defining the wheat core microbiome and explores microbial community-based solutions for sustainable crop intensification.
Topic tags
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