Changes in Plant Metabolome Induced by Microorganisms Under Environmental Stress

The impact of the plant microbiome on various aspects of plant growth and health is considerable owing to the close relationship between plant-associated microorganisms. The microbiome has a significant influence on plant growth and development and can be employed to enhance plant production, promote root growth, and increase the efficiency of the root in absorbing water and nutrients. This, in turn, enhances the plant’s ability to explore the soil and increases its tolerance to both biotic and abiotic stressors. Additionally, the microbiome can promote shoot growth, thereby improving the efficiency of photosynthesis and enhancing yield. Furthermore, the microbiome can decrease the occurrence of pathogens and the incidence of diseases in healthy plants. The use of the plant microbiome can be a valuable strategy and practice to improve agricultural production, although there is limited information available on gene expression and metabolism in plants under stressful conditions. In this context, metabolomic and metagenomic techniques may be useful. The application of multi-omics techniques, including gene transcript expression, proteomics, and metabolomic analyses, is essential for a comprehensive understanding of plant stress responses. This chapter joins the current literature on the application of these technologies to a deeper understanding of the response of host plants to stressful conditions, in collaboration with mitigating environmental damage to crop production.