Using plant-soil-microbe interactions to retain soil functions under global change

Plants and their soil microbial communities are connected by plant-root exudates that shape the soil microbiome. Monocultures of plants give a clearer plant-soil signal than mixtures of plant species, but the latter is what we deal with in natural systems. Grasses, herbs and legumes and their plant-root traits all have their own exudate types that alter plants and soil communities to cope with prolonged periods of drought and with repelling or attracting plant pathogens or symbionts. Having an insight in how plants shape soil microbiomes and how soil microbiomes shape plant communities are therefore crucial to sustain soil health and food security for the future but also important in the restoration of degraded soils. This talk will cover some possibilities to influence soil quality with plants steering the microbiome and how the microbiome steers the plant community in return. For the future of our planet it will be important to use plant-soil interactions to keep our soils healthy and resilient to ensure food security for the generations ahead. My current and past work focusses on plant-soil interactions and microbiome steering via plants to increase soil carbon stabilization. I pledge that fungi are superhero’s in this respect because they are very active in most soils even when low in biomass. Moreover, fungi have a high carbon use efficiency and if they are hyphal, their necromass tissue can be resilient against quick decomposition, and therefore can potentially contribute to stable carbon inputs.