Ecological Dynamics and Microbial Treatments against Oomycete Plant Pathogens.

Karen E Sullam,Tomke Musa

doi:10.3390/plants10122697

Karen E Sullam, Tomke Musa

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10122697

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Abstract

In this review, we explore how ecological concepts may help assist with applying microbial biocontrol agents to oomycete pathogens. Oomycetes cause a variety of agricultural diseases, including potato late blight, apple replant diseases, and downy mildew of grapevine, which also can lead to significant economic damage in their respective crops. The use of microbial biocontrol agents is increasingly gaining interest due to pressure from governments and society to reduce chemical plant protection products. The success of a biocontrol agent is dependent on many ecological processes, including the establishment on the host, persistence in the environment, and expression of traits that may be dependent on the microbiome. This review examines recent literature and trends in research that incorporate ecological aspects, especially microbiome, host, and environmental interactions, into biological control development and applications. We explore ecological factors that may influence microbial biocontrol agents’ efficacy and discuss key research avenues forward.

Highlights

Host-associated microbiota are integral parts of organismal biology and have a strong impact on host physiology [1,2]
This review aims to identify and discuss relevant ecological dynamics that may influence the effectiveness of microbiome-based treatments against pathogenic oomycetes
Spatial dynamics can have a role in the persistence and success of microbiome manipulations as well as the occurrence of plant pathogens

Summary

Introduction

Host-associated microbiota are integral parts of organismal biology and have a strong impact on host physiology [1,2]. Niche theory: The distribution of species due to their n-dimensional hypervolume or the space corresponding to species’ requirements (habitat, environmental conditions, food, etc.) This framework is contrary to the neutral theory and suggests certain species are better suited for particular environments and community assembly processes are deterministic. The habitats for microorganisms on the above-ground part of the plant, the phyllosphere, or below-ground part of the plant, the rhizosphere, have different characteristics, ecological constraints, and abiotic and biotic factors, such as UV, wind, rain, insect vectors, and human activities, that can affect how microbial communities establish [51,52]. The success of preand probiotics are driven by the ecological dynamics of the system The contribution of both deterministic (niche driven) and stochastic (neutral) processes to community assembly [64] may help explain the success of biocontrol organisms from various sources in different situations. The following ecological concepts and their potential effect on the establishment and success of MBCAs are explored: priority effects, genotypeand environment-dependent expression, species interactions, competition, and niche use

Priority Effects

Phenotypic Plasticity

The Effect of Spatial Dynamics on Microbial Biocontrol Agents

Challenges and Limitations of Microbial Manipulations in Agricultural Systems

Findings

Outlook