The importance of adverse soil microbiomes in the light of omics: Implications for food safety

Abstract

One of the most serious threats facing agricultural productivity in the world is unfavourable soil conditions. Several studies have shown that almost half of the world’s land-mass is affected by either natural or human-induced pollution. This, therefore, poses a threat to agricultural improvement needed to tackle the problem of a continuous increase in the world population. The emergence of soil extremophiles with plant growth-promoting trait has proven to be a reliable means to quell the threat posed by some factors limiting soil potency. Adopting these organisms as bio-inoculants will easily proffer a solution to both biotic and abiotic soil stress. As such, the natural bio-fertilisers will help to improve the quality of the soil by making it healthy enough to sustain sufficient plant growth. This review gives an overview of the multifarious importance of extremophiles on plants grown under harsh soil conditions, with the multifaceted application of omics as a means to unveil these organisms and their benefits for environmentally sustainable agricultural systems and food safety.

Metagenomic Insight into the Community Structure of Maize-Rhizosphere Bacteria as Predicted by Different Environmental Factors and Their Functioning within Plant Proximity

“…Streptomyces , Nitrospira , Conexibacter and Mycobacterium ( Figure 3 d and Table S5 ). Strains from these genera are well-known plant growth-beneficial bacteria with distinct traits useful in bioremediation, stress reduction, soil nutrient availability and suppression of soil-borne phytopathogens [ 3 ].…”

“…pathogens and herbivores or abiotic, such as osmotic, oxidative, drought stressors etc. These abnormalities tend to reduce the productivity of plants by activating harsh crop impairment factors [ 3 ]. Eight (8) major pathways related to soil stress reduction and several subunits associated with osmotic, oxidative, acid and toxin-related responses were deduced from the sampling sites.…”

“…Within the proximity of plants, microorganisms enhance plant growth by inducing direct and indirect mechanisms, such as plant pathogen suppression, enhanced nutrient availability and tolerance to environmental stressors, such as drought and salinity [ 1 , 2 ]. In return, plant produces compounds such as amino acids, carbon sources, and other root exudates that create an enabling environment for the organisms to thrive [ 3 ].…”

“…Over the past two decades, there have been growing interest in the use of indigenous rhizosphere organisms, especially stress-tolerating organisms, as bioinoculants for treating soil [ 3 , 15 ]. Bioprospection of the rhizosphere of plants led to the discovery of important plant growth-promoting bacteria, most of which have been tested as positive bioinoculants [ 15 , 16 , 17 ].…”

The Immense Functional Attributes of Maize Rhizosphere Microbiome: A Shotgun Sequencing Approach

“…DNA metabolism, fatty acids, lipids and isoprenoids, photosynthesis, respiration, and stress response in common with p ≥ 0.05. Understanding plant soil metabolic processes are important for easy conservation and manipulation of agroecosystem [30].…”