Untapping the potential of plant mycobiomes for applications in agriculture

Maria J Pozo; Iñigo Zabalgogeazcoa; Beatriz R Vazquez de Aldana; Ainhoa Martinez-Medina

doi:10.1016/j.pbi.2021.102034

Untapping the potential of plant mycobiomes for applications in agriculture

Curr Opin Plant Biol. 2021 Apr:60:102034. doi: 10.1016/j.pbi.2021.102034. Epub 2021 Apr 4.

Authors

Maria J Pozo¹, Iñigo Zabalgogeazcoa², Beatriz R Vazquez de Aldana², Ainhoa Martinez-Medina²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Soil Microbiology and Symbiotic Systems, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, CSIC, Granada, Spain. Electronic address: mjpozo@eez.csic.es.
² Plant-Microbe Interactions, Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Salamanca, IRNASA-CSIC, Salamanca, Spain.

PMID: 33827007
DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2021.102034

Abstract

Plant-fungal interactions are widespread in nature, and their multiple benefits for plant growth and health have been amply demonstrated. Endophytic and epiphytic fungi can significantly increase plant resilience, improving plant nutrition, stress tolerance and defence. Although some of these interactions have been known for decades, the relevance of the plant mycobiome within the plant microbiome has been largely underestimated. Our limited knowledge of fungal biology and their interactions with plants in the broader phytobiome context has hampered the development of optimal biotechnological applications in agrosystems and natural ecosystems. Exciting recent technical and knowledge advances in the context of molecular and systems biology open a plethora of opportunities for developing this field of research.

Keywords: Biocontrol; Biostimulants; Biotechnology; Endophytes; Entomopathogens; Epichloë; Fungi; Induced resistance; Mycobiome; Mycorrhizal fungi; Symbiosis; SynComs; Trichoderma.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Agriculture
Endophytes
Fungi
Mycobiome* / genetics
Plants / genetics
Symbiosis