Mechanistic Insights for Microbiome Application in Plant Disease Resistance

Plant diseases caused by biotic and abiotic stresses pose a great threat to both plant health and yield. Plant microbiomes play a crucial role in improving disease resistance, representing a sustainable approach to enhance crop performance. Plant host factors, including genetic variation, metabolites and microRNA, shape the assembly and function of the plant microbiome, thereby augmenting disease resistance. This interplay presents opportunities for plant-mediated manipulation of microbiome to promote plant health. Multiple mechanisms are involved in the microbiome-mediated plant disease resistance, such as direct and indirect pathogen antagonism, niche pre-emption, alteration of microbiota and activation of plant defences. Nevertheless, the application of plant microbiome in the field remains limited due to the intrinsic complexity of plant-microbiome and environment-microbiome interactions. This review synthesises current knowledge on the roles of plant microbiomes in plant disease resistance. I further summarise the mechanisms underlying plant-guided microbiome modulation and probiotic-mediated disease suppression. I also raise work and challenges that should be addressed, with the ultimate goal of informing more efficient microbiome application in sustainable agriculture.