Crop Microbiomes Enhance Antioxidant Defense in Plants

The disparity between crop yields and population expansion poses problems for global crop production. The population of the world is currently 7.7 billion, according to the UN. It is anticipated that this population would increase to 9.7 billion by 2050 and 11.2 billion by the end of the century. Growing demand for resources such as food and water is linked to such rapid growth. All crop plants interact with billions of microorganisms from their environment at once, the majority of which are benign and actually helpful to the plant since they encourage plant growth and offer defense against illnesses. However, a small number of microorganisms with species-specific adaptations produce illnesses that have disastrous impacts on agricultural output. Plants have developed an innate immune system in order to prevent pathogen infection. Crop plants must use their own biological systems to withstand the negative external pressure caused by environmental and edaphic conditions. Utilizing technology and preventing further environmental harm are becoming more and more important, yet climate change could soon bring about unforeseen and significant consequences. As a result, larger-scale policies must quickly incorporate adaptive measures in order to preserve the balance between food security despite unavoidable population expansion and environmental preservation, on the other.