Domesticated tomatoes are more vulnerable to negative plant-soil feedbacks than their wild relatives

Domesticated plants can differ from their wild counterparts in the strength and outcome of species interactions, both above- and belowground. Plant-soil feedbacks influence plant success, and plant-associated soil microbial communities can influence plant interactions with herbivores and their natural enemies, yet, it is unclear if domestication has changed these relationships. To determine the effects of domestication on plant-soil interactions, we characterized soil microbial communities associated with various cultivars of domesticated tomato and some of its wild relatives. We measured the strength and direction of plant-soil feedbacks for domesticated and wild tomatoes, and the effects of soil on plant resistance to specialist herbivory by Manduca sexta, and the attraction of a parasitoid wasp, Cotesia congregata. Domesticated tomatoes and their wild relatives had negative plant-soil feedbacks, as conspecifics cultivated soil that negatively impacted performance of subsequent plants...