Rooting for Microbes: Impacts of Plant Breeding on the Kernza Rhizosphere

The impact of plant breeding on plant-microbial interactions is largely unknown. Breeding programs generally select plants based on aboveground traits such as seed size, resulting in unintended consequences on belowground traits such as root exudation and microbial symbioses. This study is the first to investigate a crop's rhizosphere environment across breeding cycles, starting with a wild-type population. By comparing Kernza plants across nine cycles of selection for increased yield and harvestability, we found that plant breeding altered bacterial and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in the rhizosphere.