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Review
. 2025 Jan;30(1):21-34.
doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2024.09.004. Epub 2024 Oct 14.

Sowing success: ecological insights into seedling microbial colonisation for robust plant microbiota engineering

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Review

Sowing success: ecological insights into seedling microbial colonisation for robust plant microbiota engineering

Oscar Joubert et al. Trends Plant Sci. 2025 Jan.

Abstract

Manipulating the seedling microbiota through seed or soil inoculations has the potential to improve plant health. Mixed in-field results have been attributed to a lack of consideration for ecological processes taking place during seedling microbiota assembly. In this opinion article, we (i) assess the contribution of ecological processes at play during seedling microbiota assembly (e.g., propagule pressure and priority effects); (ii) investigate how life history theory can help us identify microbial traits involved in successful seedling colonisation; and (iii) suggest how different plant microbiota engineering methods could benefit from a greater understanding of seedling microbiota assembly processes. Finally, we propose several research hypotheses and identify outstanding questions for the plant microbiota engineering community.

Keywords: community ecology; microbiota engineering; plant health; sustainable agriculture.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests.

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