The Study of the Microbiome Enables New Strategies for Healthy and Climate-Resilient Crops

A study led by TU Graz is providing evidence for the co-evolution of plants and microorganisms. Lunghammer - TU Graz By Christoph Pelzl - Study led by TU Graz shows that apple trees inherit their microbiome to the same extent as their genes. The results lay the foundation for new breeding strategies for healthy and climate-robust fruit and vegetables. Agriculture is facing enormous challenges worldwide due to global changes caused by human activities. Drought, severe weather events, record temperatures and emerging pathogens threaten the world's food supply. For this reason we need to make our crops more robust without further polluting the environment. Microbiome research and management offer great potential to achieve these goals.