Elucidating the impact of plants in recruitment of rhizosphere microbiome for enhancing pathogenic resistance, stress resilience and crop productivity

Plants, despite their immobile nature, demonstrate an incredible array of adaptive strategies, which position them as opportunistic organisms in their dynamic interactions with the microbial world. Microbial communities have been integral to plant evolution, helping early land plants adaptation to environmental challenges. Evidences show that plants produce various chemical compounds and signal molecules in root exudates to attract/repel beneficial or pathogenic microbes, influencing their physiochemical, biochemical and genetic activities. Certain microbial strains, plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs), can improve nutrient acquisition, abiotic stress tolerance and resistance to pathogens through regulation of morphological, physiological, and molecular responses in fulfilling plant niche-based requirements. Thus, shift of carbon and energy resources from plants to microbial community in the form of root exudates and in turn, plant growth promoting activities of microbes again increases plant growth and crop yield, contributing to circular sustainable agriculture systems. Over the past decade, significant progress has been made in understanding the signalling molecules and plant receptors involved in various plant-microbial interactions. This exploration reflects the complex ways of how plants, inherently sessile, respond and adapt to an array of environmental challenges, showcasing their remarkable ability to exploit microbial relationships for enhanced survival and crop productivity. The complex and dynamic nature of plant-microbial interactions is explored in this review, and the importance of beneficial associations, pathogenic encounters, environmental stresses, and transgenic plants in shaping plant-microbial interactions is highlighted. Graphical abstract