Yet, successful examples of better performance for microbial consortia are comparatively limited and usually relate to growth or yield promotion ( Bradáčová et al., 2019). It has been proposed that a way to overcome these issues is by combining different strains to cover a wider range of target organisms and conditions ( Faust, 2019 Mitter et al., 2019). Inconsistent or ineffective performance of single strain inoculants can be related to limited competitiveness against indigenous microbes and the varying environmental conditions ( Trivedi et al., 2020). The inoculant’s functionality and persistence are strongly influenced by their complex interactions within the soil microbiota and the environment ( Barea et al., 2005 Trivedi et al., 2020 Pozo et al., 2021). Originally, biocontrol research focused on the application of single microorganisms ( Sarma et al., 2015 Trivedi et al., 2020). The ability of microorganisms to control pests and diseases has been well documented, but the variability of results often recorded under field conditions is one of the major challenges for wider adoption in agriculture ( Trivedi et al., 2017 Mitter et al., 2019). Yet, while the use of insects and mites to control pests is well established and used in practice for decades, microbes to control pests and diseases are in an earlier developmental phase ( Mitter et al., 2019). A strong increase in registered microbial biocontrol agents worldwide in recent years serves as good evidence ( van Lenteren et al., 2017). The use of plant beneficial microorganisms as biological control agents (BCAs) of pests and diseases emerges as a viable alternative to the abusive use of agrochemicals ( Ab Rahman et al., 2018 Rändler-Kleine et al., 2020). Nowadays soil microbes are considered key players in modern crop management programs aiming to increase sustainability in agriculture ( Barea, 2015 Trivedi et al., 2017 Compant et al., 2019). Our findings illustrate the potential of microbial consortia, composed of carefully selected and compatible beneficial microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi, for the development of stable and versatile biological control products for plant protection against a wider range of diseases.Ī plethora of soil-borne microorganisms live associated with plant roots, and although some are detrimental, others provide important benefits to the host plant, from improved nutrition through growth and protection against multiple abiotic and biotic stresses ( Bakker et al., 2018). Our results confirmed our hypothesis, revealing that while different individual microorganisms were the most effective in controlling the root pathogen Fusarium oxysporum or the foliar pathogen Botrytis cinerea in tomato, the consortia showed an extended functionality, effectively controlling both pathogens under any of the application schemes, always reaching the same protection levels as the best performing single strains. We hypothesized that consortia will be more versatile than the single strains, displaying an extended functionality, as they will be able to control a wider range of plant diseases through diverse mechanisms and application methods. We compared their ability to control shoot and root pathogens when applied separately or in combination as microbial consortia, and across different application strategies that imply direct microbial antagonism or induced systemic plant resistance. In the present study, exploiting the microbial library of the biocontrol company Koppert Biological Systems, we designed microbial consortia composed of carefully selected, well-characterized beneficial bacteria and fungi displaying diverse biocontrol modes of action. However, the design of microbial consortia for improving the reliability of current biological control practices is now a major trend in biotechnology, and it is already being exploited commercially in the context of sustainable agriculture. Traditionally, microbe-based biocontrol strategies for crop protection relied on the application of single microorganisms. The use of beneficial microorganisms for the biological control of plant diseases and pests has emerged as a viable alternative to chemical pesticides in agriculture. 2Department of Soil Microbiology and Symbiotic Systems, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, CSIC, Granada, Spain.1Business Unit Microbiology, Agronomical Development Department, Koppert Biological Systems, Berkel en Rodenrijs, Netherlands.Zhivko Minchev 1* Olga Kostenko 1 Roxina Soler 1 María J.
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