Microbial clicks and combobulation: integrating microbes without passports and visas for managing soilborne diseases

Abstract

The main points of this letter are as follows: (1) manufacturing and utilisation of synthetic microbiota formulations for root disease control is an important thrust of the crop protection industry; (2) efficacy of commercial microbial formulations (single microbe-based formulations versus formulations containing multiple microbes) is an issue faced in many crop production systems; (3) a concern is whether pathogenic resistance will become a production problem if single microbe-based formulations are continuously used; (4) there are inconsistencies in the efficacy of synthetic microbiota; (5) obtaining and enhancing root disease suppressive activity may depend on optimising the interplays between synthetic microbiota and indigenous microbiota in terms of their metabolic activities and (6) studies on interplays among microbiota should also consider pathogenic microbiota, especially in cropping systems in which a given crop may be attacked by multiple pathogens.

Keywords:

• Microbial clicks
• synthetic microbiota
• indigenous microbiota
• root diseases
• soilborne pathogens
• microbial interactions

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).