Diversification of crop rotation systems shifts rhizobiomes to facilitate plant performance

Increased crop diversification in rotation systems consisting of increased taxonomic and functional crop diversity throughout time and lower intensity of agricultural management might be more sustainable alternatives to conventional practices. Crop-species specific induction of rhizobiomes (bacteria, fungi and protists) are among the reasons for the improved sustainability linked to diversified crop rotation systems. In turn, rhizobiome diversity and composition affect plant performance. However, the cumulative knowledge on crop species impacts on the rhizobiome and the resulting feedback to subsequently grown crops – the basis for more efficient crop rotation practices – remain limited. We aimed to fill this gap by establishing four rotation systems with increasing diversification in a long-term field experiment, followed by a greenhouse experiment to validate how changes in rhizobiomes affected plant performance. Crop diversification in rotation systems altered rhizobiome composition, with increases in plant beneficial microorganisms and a reduction of plant pathogens. These diversification-induced rhizobiomes facilitated plant performance by enhancing the chlorophyll content, leaf area, height and biomass of subsequent plants. As such, manipulating rhizobiomes through crop diversification might contribute to promoted plant performance with less dependency on chemical fertilizers or pesticides.