From seeds to postharvest: the impact of the plant microbiome on health: a review

The microbiome of plants plays a crucial role in plant health. Rapid advances in multi-omics and computational tools are dramatically increasing access to the plant microbiome and consequently leading to the identification of its links with diseases and to the control of those diseases. Plants have to be considered as co-evolved species assemblages, which harbor species-specific microbial diversity consisting of bacterial, archaeal, and diverse eukaryotic species. Diverse abiotic and biotic factors influence microbial diversity, and the plant development stage is important. In their whole life cycle - from seeds to fruits - plants harbor specific microbes, which have a substantial impact on plant health. The novel insights can be translated into innovative plant and food protection methods.