Specific members of the plant microbiome can have profound eff ects on plant growth and development, nutrition and tolerance to (a)biotic stress. For the vast majority of plantassociated microbes, however, there is limited knowledge on the mechanisms involved in modulation of plant growth and health. Novel ‘omics technologies have provided more in-depth understanding of the diversity and functioning of the plant microbiome to go beyond ‘collecting stamps’ and to identify eff ective microbial strains and consortia for crop protection.
Jos Raaijmakers is head of the Microbial Ecology department of the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) and Professor at Leiden University, the Netherlands. The research program of his department aims to understand the diversity of microbial communities and microbial activities in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Over the past decade, his research group has focused on how plant-associated microorganisms impact on plant growth, root architecture, plant chemistry and tolerance to (a)biotic stress.
Moderation: Professor Dr. Katharina Riedel