Crop domestication and improvement reshape root traits and the structure and function of their associated microbiome

Highlights

	● Crop domestication decreased crop genetic diversity while increasing the complexity of root traits and simplifying the structure and function of their microbiome.
	● Modern crops have a great genetic potential for manipulating root traits and associated functional microbiome communities.
	● Exploitation of crop domestication strengthens future crop root systems and microbiome resilience.

Abstract

Beneficial root-microbiome interactions offer enormous potential to improve crop performance and stress tolerance. Domestication and improvement reduced the genetic diversity of crops and reshaped their phenotypic traits and their associated microbiome structure and function. However, understanding of the genetic and physiological mechanisms how domestication and improvement modulated root function, microbiome assembly and even co-selective patterns remains largely elusive. This review summarizes the current status of how crop domestication and improvement (heterosis) affected root characteristics and their associated microbiome structure and function. Also, it assesses potential mechanisms how crop domestication and improvement reshaped root-microbiome association through gene regulation, root structure and function and root exudate features. A hypothetical strategy is proposed that entangles crop genetics and abiotic interactions with beneficial microbiomes to mitigate the effects of global climate change on crop performance. A comprehensive understanding of the role of crop domestication and improvement in root-associated microbiome interaction will advance future breeding efforts and agricultural management.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Crop domestication / heterosis / micro-biome / root development / exploitation strategy

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) grant Emmy Noether Programme (444755415) and DFG Priority Program (SPP2089) Rhizosphere Spatiotemporal Organisation—A Key to Rhizosphere Functions grant (403671039).

Compliance with ethics guidelines

Xiaoming He, Frank Hochholdinger, Xinping Chen, and Peng Yu declare that they have no conflicts of interest or financial conflicts to disclose. This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

The Author(s) 2024. Published by Higher Education Press. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)