Wenfei Zhang

Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, 571158, Hainan, China
Author    Correspondence author
Molecular Microbiology Research, 2024, Vol. 14, No. 3   
Received: 20 Mar., 2024    Accepted: 08 May, 2024    Published: 23 May, 2024

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

This comprehensive review encapsulates the current state of research on Synthetic Microbial Communities (SynComs) and their burgeoning role in agriculture. The paper aims to elucidate the conceptual framework and developmental milestones of SynComs, tracing their historical evolution from mere scientific inquiry to pivotal agricultural assets. By delving into the synthesis of current literature, this review presents an analytical digest of the advancements in SynCom development, their applications in enhancing plant health, and their integration with existing agricultural practices. The engineered microbial consortia are highlighted for their precise functionality, such as biofilm formation, secondary metabolite production, and induction of plant resistance, structured by ecological theories and phylogenetic organization. The document reviews evidence demonstrating the efficacy of SynComs in bolstering crop resilience, especially under challenging environmental conditions, with case studies exemplifying the protection of wheat against soilborne pathogens and the improvement of soybean yield. Furthermore, it explores the potential of SynCom integration with traditional breeding techniques and plant cultivation management, suggesting that SynComs can complement breeding programs and provide sustainable solutions to biotic stresses. The review concludes by underscoring the promise of SynComs in sustainable agriculture and proposing future research directions that address challenges in microbial colonization, stability, and the harmonization of SynComs with traditional farming methods. This work serves as a cornerstone for developing a new paradigm in precision agriculture where SynComs play a crucial role in crop management for enhanced productivity.

Synthetic microbial communities; Plant health; Agricultural productivity; Microbial engineering; Crop resilience; Plant-microbe interactions; Precision agriculture; Sustainable farming practices