Plant microbiome responses to bioinoculants and volatiles.

Background: There is an increase in the adoption of biological solutions for plant production as a means of attaining sustainable agriculture. A detailed understanding of the influence of specific bioinoculants and their volatile metabolites on native soil and plant microbiomes can improve future microbiome management practices.

Results: Here, we examined the effect of bacterial inoculants and volatile compounds as individual and combined treatments on apple plant and soil microbiome.

Phyllosphere-associated microbiota in built environment: Do they have the potential to antagonize human pathogens?

Introduction: The plant microbiota is known to protect its host against invasion by plant pathogens. Recent studies have indicated that the microbiota of indoor plants is transmitted to the local built environment where it might fulfill yet unexplored functions. A better understanding of the interplay of such microbial communities with human pathogens might provide novel cues related to natural inhibition of them.

Impact of Cultivation and Origin on the Fruit Microbiome of Apples and Blueberries and Implications for the Exposome.

Vegetables and fruits are a crucial part of the planetary health diet, directly affecting human health and the gut microbiome. The objective of our study was to understand the variability of the fruit (apple and blueberry) microbiome in the frame of the exposome concept. The study covered two fruit-bearing woody species, apple and blueberry, two countries of origin (Austria and Finland), and two fruit production methods (naturally grown and horticultural).

Function-Based Rhizosphere Assembly along a Gradient of Desiccation in the Former Aral Sea.

The desiccation of the Aral Sea represents one of the largest human-made environmental regional disasters. The salt- and toxin-enriched dried-out basin provides a natural laboratory for studying ecosystem functioning and rhizosphere assembly under extreme anthropogenic conditions. Here, we investigated the prokaryotic rhizosphere communities of the native pioneer plant Suaeda acuminata (C.

Modulation of the food microbiome by apple fruit processing.

During the early life, introduction to external exposures such as consumption of solid foods contribute to the development of the gut microbiota. Among solid foods, fruit and vegetables are normally consumed during early childhood making them key components of a healthy human diet. The role of the indigenous microbiota of fruits as a source for beneficial gut microbes, especially during food processing, is largely unknown.

The Brassica napus seed microbiota is cultivar-specific and transmitted via paternal breeding lines.

Seed microbiota influence germination and plant health and have the potential to improve crop performance, but the factors that determine their structure and functions are still not fully understood. Here, we analysed the impact of plant-related and external factors on seed endophyte communities of 10 different oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) cultivars from 26 field sites across Europe.

Insights into the microbiome assembly during different growth stages and storage of strawberry plants.

Background: Microbiome assembly was identified as an important factor for plant growth and health, but this process is largely unknown, especially for the fruit microbiome. Therefore, we analyzed strawberry plants of two cultivars by focusing on microbiome tracking during the different growth stages and storage using amplicon sequencing, qPCR, and microscopic approaches.

Results: Strawberry plants carried a highly diverse microbiome, therein the bacterial families Sphingomonadaceae (25%), Pseudomonadaceae (17%), and Burkholderiaceae (11%); and the fungal family Mycosphaerella (45%) were most abundant.

Trichomes form genotype-specific microbial hotspots in the phyllosphere of tomato.

Background: The plant phyllosphere is a well-studied habitat characterized by low nutrient availability and high community dynamics. In contrast, plant trichomes, known for their production of a large number of metabolites, are a yet unexplored habitat for microbes. We analyzed the phyllosphere as well as trichomes of two tomato genotypes (Solanum lycopersicum LA4024, S.

Microbiome-Assisted Breeding to Understand Cultivar-Dependent Assembly in .

Recently, it was shown that long-term plant breeding does not only shape plant characteristics but also impacts plant-associated microbiota substantially. This requires a microbiome-integrative breeding approach, which was not yet shown. Here we investigate this for the Styrian oil pumpkin ( L.

Microbiome Modulation-Toward a Better Understanding of Plant Microbiome Response to Microbial Inoculants.

Plant-associated microorganisms are involved in important functions related to growth, performance and health of their hosts. Understanding their modes of action is important for the design of promising microbial inoculants for sustainable agriculture. Plant-associated microorganisms are able to interact with their hosts and often exert specific functions toward potential pathogens; the underlying interactions are well studied.

Antimicrobial-specific response from resistance gene carriers studied in a natural, highly diverse microbiome.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major threat to public health. Microorganisms equipped with AMR genes are suggested to have partially emerged from natural habitats; however, this hypothesis remains inconclusive so far. To understand the consequences of the introduction of exogenic antimicrobials into natural environments, we exposed lichen thalli of Peltigera polydactylon, which represent defined, highly diverse miniature ecosystems, to clinical (colistin, tetracycline), and non-clinical (glyphosate, alkylpyrazine) antimicrobials.

Microbiome Management by Biological and Chemical Treatments in Maize Is Linked to Plant Health.

The targeted application of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) provides the key for a future sustainable agriculture with reduced pesticide application. PGPR interaction with the indigenous microbiota is poorly understood, but essential to develop reliable applications. Therefore, SPA-P69 was applied as a seed coating and in combination with a fungicide based on the active ingredients fludioxonil, metalaxyl-M, captan and ziram.

Microbiome approaches provide the key to biologically control postharvest pathogens and storability of fruits and vegetables.

Microbes play an important role in plants and interact closely with their host starting from sprouting seeds, continuing during growth and after harvest. The discovery of their importance for plant and postharvest health initiated a biotechnological development of various antagonistic bacteria and fungi for disease control. Nevertheless, their application often showed inconsistent effects.

Microbiome-Guided Exploration of the Microbial Assemblage of the Exotic Beverage "Insect Tea" Native to Southwestern China.

Insect tea is a unique beverage that is native to Southwestern China and traditionally produced by local farmers in an elaborate process. It consists of insect larvae excrements that are commonly obtained from meal moths ( Linnaeus 1758) reared on a specific plant-based diet. We have reconstructed the whole production process under laboratory conditions in order to obtain microbiome-level insights into this uncommon beverage and to trace back the origin of the prevalent bacteria in the final product.

Microbiome Response to Hot Water Treatment and Potential Synergy With Biological Control on Stored Apples.

Postharvest food decay is one major issue for today's food loss along the supply chain. Hot water treatment (HWT), a sustainable method to reduce pathogen-induced postharvest fruit decay, has been proven to be effective on a variety of crops. However, the microbiome response to HWT is still unknown, and the role of postharvest microbiota for fruit quality is largely unexplored.

Microbiome-driven identification of microbial indicators for postharvest diseases of sugar beets.

Background: Sugar loss due to storage rot has a substantial economic impact on the sugar industry. The gradual spread of saprophytic fungi such as Fusarium and Penicillium spp. during storage in beet clamps is an ongoing challenge for postharvest processing.

Replacing conventional decontamination of hatching eggs with a natural defense strategy based on antimicrobial, volatile pyrazines.

The treatment of hatching eggs relies on classic yet environmentally harmful decontamination methods such as formaldehyde fumigation. We evaluated bacteria-derived volatiles as a replacement within a fundamentally novel approach based on volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are naturally involved in microbial communication and antagonism due to their high antimicrobial efficiency. Pyrazine (5-isobutyl-2,3-dimethylpyrazine) was applied passively and actively in prototypes of a pre-industry-scale utilization.