Impaired community assembly after depletion of key rhizosphere microorganisms compromises plant health

Abstract

Abstract Rhizosphere microbial assembly is impacted by soil management history and plant fitness. Synergistic action and compensatory colonization were explored to program diverse rhizosphere community with effects on host plant health. However, the roles and positions of key populations that influence overall function during assembly remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigated the relationship between rhizosphere microbial assembly and plant heath under monocropping and rotation management regimes and the underlying mechanisms. We found unintended effects of filtering-out low-abundance communities assembled in the plant rhizosphere determine plant disease outcomes. Further, promotion of specific microbial consortia by root metabolisms adversely affect ecologically interdependent low-abundance taxa. We also demonstrated the importance of restoring the rhizosphere microbial community with a substantial participation of key microbes. The study highlights the collective importance of plant rhizosphere community for plant health, informing a potential strategy for efficient biological pest control.