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Sorghum bicolor is among the most important cereals globally and a staple crop for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Approximately 20% of sorghum yield is lost annually in Africa due to infestation with the root parasitic weed Striga hermonthica. Existing Striga management strategies are not singularly effective and integrated approaches are needed. Here, we demonstrate the functional potential of the soil microbiome to suppress Striga infection in sorghum. We associate this suppression with microbiome-mediated induction of root endodermal suberization and aerenchyma formation and with depletion of haustorium-inducing factors, compounds required for the initial stages of Striga infection. We further identify specific bacterial taxa that trigger the observed Striga-suppressive traits. Collectively, our study describes the importance of the soil microbiome in the early stages of root infection by Striga and pinpoints mechanisms of Striga suppression. These findings open avenues to broaden the effectiveness of integrated Striga management practices.

The plant health status is determined by the interplay of plant-pathogen-microbiota in the rhizosphere. Here, we investigate this tripartite system focusing on the pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (FOL) and tomato plants as a model system. First, we explore differences in tomato genotype resistance to FOL potentially associated with the differential recruitment of plant-protective rhizosphere taxa. Second, we show the production of fusaric acid by FOL to trigger systemic changes in the rhizosphere microbiota. Specifically, we show this molecule to have opposite effects on the recruitment of rhizosphere disease-suppressive taxa in the resistant and susceptible genotypes. Last, we elucidate that FOL and fusaric acid induce changes in the tomato root exudation with direct effects on the recruitment of specific disease-suppressive taxa. Our study unravels a mechanism mediating plant rhizosphere assembly and disease suppression by integrating plant physiological responses to microbial-mediated mechanisms in the rhizosphere. The phytotoxin fusaric acid produced by the phytopathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici results in a differential assembly of the rhizosphere microbiota of resistant and susceptible genotypes with implication for disease suppression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria and fungi are core microorganisms in diverse ecosystems, and their cross‐kingdom interactions are considered key determinants of microbiome structure and ecosystem functioning. However, how bacterial‐fungal interactions mediate soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics remains largely unexplored in the context of artificial forest ecosystems.Here, we characterised soil bacterial and fungal communities in four successive planting of Eucalyptus and compared them to a neighbouring evergreen broadleaf forest. Carbon (C) mineralisation combined with five C‐degrading enzymatic activities was investigated to determine the effects of successive planting of Eucalyptus on SOC dynamics.Our results indicated that successive planting of Eucalyptus significantly altered the diversity and structure of soil bacterial and fungal communities and increased the negative bacterial‐fungal associations. The bacterial diversity significantly decreased in all Eucalyptus plantations compared to the evergreen forest, while the fungal diversity showed the opposite trend. The ratio of negative bacterial‐fungal associations increased with successive planting of Eucalyptus due to the decrease in SOC, ammonia nitrogen (NH4+‐N), nitrate nitrogen (NO3−‐N) and available phosphorus (AP). Structural equation modelling indicated that the potential cross‐kingdom competition, based on the ratio of negative bacterial‐fungal correlations, was significantly negatively associated with the diversity of total bacteria and keystone bacteria, thereby increasing C‐degrading enzymatic activities and C mineralisation.Synthesis and applications: Our results highlight the regulatory role of the negative bacterial‐fungal association in enhancing the correlation between bacterial diversity and C mineralisation. This suggests that promoting short‐term successive planting in the management of Eucalyptus plantations can mitigate the impact of this association on SOC decomposition. Taken together, our study advances the understanding of bacterial‐fungal negative associations to mediate carbon mineralisation in Eucalyptus plantations, giving us a new insight into SOC cycling dynamics in artificial forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The host-associated microbiota can promote colonization resistance against pathogens via a mechanism termed 'nutrient blocking', as highlighted in a recent article by Spragge et al. This implies that greater metabolic overlap between commensal taxa and pathogens leads to disease suppression. Here, we discuss future avenues for how this principle can be exploited in the rhizosphere microbiota to promote plant health., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests There are no interests to declare., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)