Role of Microbiome in Plant Health and Disease Suppressions: A Review

Abstract

The plant microbiome constitutes a complex and dynamic community of microorganisms that play a crucial role in maintaining plant health, enhancing growth, and suppressing diseases. The present review assesses the role of the microbiome in promoting plant health and suppressing plant diseases.  These microbial assemblages, including bacteria, fungi, archaea, viruses, and protists, inhabit distinct plant niches such as the rhizosphere, phyllosphere, and endosphere, forming intricate interactions with host plants. Microbiomes contribute to nutrient acquisition through processes such as biological nitrogen fixation, phosphorus solubilization, and micronutrient mobilization, thereby improving plant productivity and soil fertility. They also regulate plant development via phytohormone production and modulation, influencing root architecture and stress responses. Disease suppression is achieved through direct mechanisms such as antibiosis, competition, and parasitism, as well as indirect pathways including induced systemic resistance and microbiome-mediated signalling. Technological advancements in omics approaches, sequencing platforms, and bioinformatics have significantly enhanced understanding of microbial diversity and function, facilitating the development of sustainable agricultural applications such as biofertilizers, biocontrol agents, and synthetic microbial consortia. Despite these advances, factors such as environmental variability, host specificity, and challenges in microbial establishment limit large-scale implementation. Emerging strategies focusing on microbiome engineering, climate-resilient microbial systems, and integration with artificial intelligence and precision agriculture offer promising directions for future research. A deeper understanding of plant-microbiome-pathogen interactions and ecological dynamics is essential for optimizing these approaches. Harnessing the functional potential of plant microbiomes provides a sustainable pathway to improve crop productivity, reduce dependence on chemical inputs, and ensure long-term agricultural and environmental stability.