Chapter 9 - Microbial inoculants in agriculture and its effects on plant microbiome

Abstract

Microbial products have been attracting attention worldwide as a sustainable technology for agriculture. Successful microbial inoculation involves the proper formulation and delivery methods to overpass the competition with the natural soil-plant microbial community. For many years, scientists linked the effects of bioinoculants on their mechanisms of direct-action on plants (biofertilization, biostimulation, biocontrol, and abiotic stress mitigation) and excluded their effects on the indigenous microbiota. There are pieces of evidence that the inoculation of bacteria in the seed, soil, or plant affects plant growth by modulating its microbiome’s structure and function. In this chapter, we discussed the studies that shed light on the nontarget effects of bioinoculants on the bacteriome structure and correlated these effects with the promotion of plant growth and the control of pathogens. Finally, we highlighted the possible mechanisms that drive bioinoculant-microbiome interactions and future challenges.