The Importance of Microorganisms for Sustainable Agriculture—A Review

Abstract

In the face of climate change, progressive degradation of the environment, including agricultural land negatively affecting plant growth and development, endangers plant productivity. Seeking efficient and sustainable agricultural techniques to replace agricultural chemicals is one of the most important challenges nowadays. The use of plant growth-promoting microorganisms is among the most promising approaches; however, molecular mechanisms underneath plant–microbe interactions are still poorly understood. In this review, we summarized the knowledge on plant–microbe interactions, highlighting the role of microbial and plant proteins and metabolites in the formation of symbiotic relationships. This review covers rhizosphere and phyllosphere microbiomes, the role of root exudates in plant–microorganism interactions, the functioning of the plant’s immune system during the plant–microorganism interactions. We also emphasized the possible role of the stringent response and the evolutionarily conserved mechanism during the established interaction between plants and microorganisms. As a case study, we discussed fungi belonging to the genus Trichoderma. Our review aims to summarize the existing knowledge about plant–microorganism interactions and to highlight molecular pathways that need further investigation.