Harnessing Belowground Interaction: Re-analyzing the Role of Rhizosphere Microbiome in Plant–Pathogen Interaction Under Water Stress

The soil provides anchorage to the land plants and acts as host for numerous microorganisms that modulate growth and metabolism of plants. Hence, soil ecology has formed an integral part of plant ecology in recent years. Plant roots are the most sophisticated and pivotal interface between the host and soil. They produce and transmit appropriate signals both locally or systemically from the belowground microbial community by attraction, attachment, absorption, imbibition, interaction, and assimilation. Among several biotic components of soil, the belowground microbiome exhibit natural variation across several strata of soil. Alteration in soil abiotic parameters specifically water profiles steer the rhizosphere microorganisms. Hence, understanding of the ‘plant–pathogen–rhizosphere tripartite interrelation’ with respect to shift in water profiles still warrants steady knowledge up-gradation in ecological perspective. Besides, how these triple-partner signal exchanges within soil are regulated during water-limiting conditions is also largely undefined. The present study shall briefly revisit the already established facts of soil–root–rhizosphere interaction, under optimum as well as water-limiting conditions. Additionally, it shall elaborate the role of belowground microbiome in regulating the tripartite signal exchanges necessary to uphold plant performance during normal to water-starved conditions. The promising role of microbiome engineering in alleviating water stress shall also be discussed. The analysis taken together is expected to provide an additional explanation that could help in designing appropriate and sustainable soil supplements with agricultural importance during water-depleted conditions.