Phytobiome

Phytobiome is a term that relates to a plant (phyto) in a specific ecological area (biome). It includes the plant itself, the environment and all micro- and macro-organisms living in, on, or around the plant. These organisms include microbes, animals and other plants. The environment includes the soil, air and climate. Examples of ecological area are a field, a rangeland, a farm, a forest.^[1]

Knowledge of the interactions within a phytobiome can be used to create tools for agriculture, crop management, increased health, preservation, productivity, and sustainability of cropping and forest systems.^[2][3]

Research

In 2015 the American Phytopathological Society (APS) launched a research framework, the Phytobiomes Initiative, to facilitate the organization of research into phytobiome.^[4] As part of this effort, in 2016 it launched Phytobiomes, an open-access journal. The journal focuses on transdisciplinary research that impacts the entire plant ecosystem.^[5] An overall research strategy has been published in the Phytobiomes Roadmap, a document developed by a group of scientific societies, companies, research institutes, and governmental agencies. It is intended to present a strategic plan to study phytobiomes and propose an action plan to apply phytobiome studies.^[6][7] The connected Phytobiomes Alliance is an international, nonprofit consortium of academic institutions, large and small companies, and governmental agencies coordinating public-private research projects on various aspects of agriculturally relevant phytobiomes.^[8]

References