Below- and Above-Ground Crop Microbiome Structure, Diversity and Interactions with Plant

The phytomicrobiome, commonly referred as the plant microbiome, has recently become a key aspect of plant scientists’ research. A better knowledge of the interactions between crop microbes and the microbiome of crops can help to increase productivity of crops. The crop or plant microbiome comprises of enormous numbers of beneficial, pathogenic and commensal, bacteria that are crucial to plant growth and health maintenance. In order to understand how the microbiome develops and the factors that alter its dynamics can help in better plant performance in an ecosystem, it is important to identify and understand the abiotic and biotic factors which influence the functional structure and taxonomy of the plant microbiome. So, in this chapter, we will discuss the interactions between structure of crop microbiome, its diversity, and interactions with plants.