The foliar microbiome.
Proficient performance in plants is strongly associated with distinct microbial communities that live in and on their organs. We comment here on the current knowledge of the composition of the foliar microbiome, highlight its importance for plants, ecosystemic functioning, and crop yields, and propose tools and experiments to overcome the current knowledge gap.
National Research Council (CSIC), Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Cerdanyola del Vallès 08193, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès 08193, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Electronic address: josep.penuelas@uab.cat.
Josep
J
Peñuelas
CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès 08193, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Departament de Biologia Animal, Vegetal, i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès 08193, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Jaume
J
Terradas
D018533:Biomass; D018556:Crops, Agricultural; D004463:Ecology; D064307:Microbiota; D063245:Plant Development; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000382:microbiology*; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D010944:Plants / Q000382:microbiology*; D049490:Systems Biology
bacteria; foliar microbiome; fungi; microbiota; phyllosphere