Unveiling the potato cultivars with microbiome interactive traits for sustainable agricultural production

Root traits significantly influence the composition and functionality of the rhizosphere microbiome, shaping nutrient cycling and plant health. Despite the critical role of root morphology and physiology in shaping plant-microbiome interactions, they are often overlooked in plant breeding. Here, we propose that selecting modern cultivars based on microbiome interactive traits (MITs), such as root biomass and exudation patterns, can enhance agricultural sustainability by interacting effectively with soil microbiomes, which in turn, promotes plant growth and resistance to stress, thereby reducing reliance on synthetic crop protectants. Through a stepwise selection process, we chose 51 cultivars based on their MITs and verified their capacity to interact with the soil microbiome in a greenhouse experiment. These were further clustered into functional groups based on their MITs and leaf metabolites and further characterised by their rhizosphere microbiome (bacterial and fungal communities). Our results indicate a positive correlation between microbial community diversity and root biomass. A potential influence of leaf metabolites on the composition of rhizosphere bacteria was observed, supporting the plant holobiont framework. We highlight the significance of incorporating positive effects on microbiomes into the breeding targets to advance the objectives of sustainable agriculture. A set of 10 potato cultivars was selected, based on their MITs, that should be evaluated genetically to identify future potential markers for breeding strategies, to verify whether those cultivars with microbiome interactive traits are conducive to sustainable agricultural production.