State of knowledge of soil biodiversity - Status, challenges and potentialities: Report 2020

Authors: Hong, Jason; RUNGE, TANIA - Thunen Institute Of Climate-Smart Agriculture; WINDING, ANNE - Aarhus University; SCOW, KATE - University Of California, Davis; BRIONES, MARIA - University Of Vigo; PERES, GUENOLA - University Of Rennes

Submitted to: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Technical Workshop Report
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/5/2020
Publication Date: 12/4/2020
Citation: Hong, J.C., Runge, T., Winding, A., Scow, K., Briones, M.J., Peres, G. 2020. State of knowledge of soil biodiversity - Status, challenges and potentialities: Report 2020. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Technical Workshop Report. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb1928en.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4060/cb1928en

Interpretive Summary: Soil microbiome encompasses all of the living microbes found in the soil. Current research is discovering the importance of these microbes and the role they can play in agriculture, especially when growing plants. This document will highly two aspects of the roles the microbiome can play in plant health namely, plant nutrition and pathogen control. It will also discuss methods for manipulating the soil microbiome to increase these two functions.

Technical Abstract: Current research is illuminating the importance of soil microbe diversity in plant health. Soil microbiology is considered a black box, until recently determining biodiversity was confined to what could be cultured, which missed about 99% of the population. With the advent of non-culturing methods such as high throughput sequencing, researchers are able to peek inside the black box. Scientists and growers are discovering that the soil microbiome is tied to pathogen control, plant health, increased yield, and an increased ability to overcome abiotic stress. The rise of modern agriculture is intertwined with a reliance of chemicals to control plant pests and provide nutrients to plants. Often chemicals used to control soil pests reduce soil biodiversity, which limits the functions of the soil microbiome. Reduction of the microbial functions can then decrease the nutrients in the soil and create a dependence on chemical fertilizers. Furthermore, excessive use of agricultural chemicals has had dire environmental costs, created plant pests resistant to these chemicals, and decreased soil biodiversity. Growers and farmers will be required to proliferate production, as life expectancies and world population increases. Thus, exists a need for scientists and researchers to collaborate with growers to discover cost effective and environmentally sustainable practices. Part of the solution is buried in the dirt; the soil microbiome.