Plants are continually interacting in different ways and levels with microbes, resulting in direct or indirect effects on plant development and fitness. Many plant-microbe interactions are beneficial and promote plant growth and development, while others have harmful effects and cause plant diseases. Given the permanent and simultaneous contact with beneficial and harmful microbes, plants should avoid being infected by pathogens while promoting mutualistic relationships. The way plants perceive multiple microbes and trigger plant responses suggests a common origin of both types of interaction. Despite the recent advances in this topic, the exploitation of mutualistic relations has still not been fully achieved. The holistic view of different agroecosystem factors, including biotic and abiotic aspects, as well as agricultural practices, must also be considered. This approach could pave the way for a new green revolution that will allow providing food to a growing human population in the context of threat such as that resulting from climate change.
Keywords: field application; microbes perception and signaling; mutualists; pathogens; plant–microbe interaction; sustainability.