Unlocking the microbiome-mediated mechanism of stress resilience in plants

Plants are continuously challenged by living organisms (biotic stress) and environmental factors (abiotic stress) throughout their lifecycle. Biotic stress factors, such as phytopathogens and pests, along with abiotic challenges like drought, salinity, high temperature and heavy metal contamination, pose significant risk to crop productivity and global food security. These stresses can negatively impact crop growth by altering the rhizosphere environment and disrupting essential cellular and biochemical mechanisms. Understanding the composition, structure and function of the plant microbiome and how it helps plants withstand stress, is crucial. This knowledge could lead to the development of strategies to reduce stress in crops and breed stress-tolerant varieties. Plant-associated microbiomes have the potential to protect plants from biotic and abiotic stresses by enhancing their natural immune responses, either directly or indirectly. They also improve photosynthetic efficiency, promote plant growth, aid in nutrient absorption and synthesise beneficial compounds, hormones and enzymes that increase productivity and stress tolerance in plants. Pseudomonas species that produce DAPG have gained significant interest for their effectiveness in suppressing a wide range of soil-borne plant diseases, such as wheat take-all, tobacco black root rot and damping-off in sugar beet. They are also recognized as key contributors to the natural disease-suppressive properties of various soils worldwide. Insights into how the plant microbiome interacts with biotic and abiotic stresses can help in creating innovative bioinoculants. In conclusion, this review highlights the importance of microbial communities in supporting plant health and productivity under stress conditions, showcasing the microbiome-mediated mechanisms that enhance plant resilience to both biotic and abiotic stressors.