Effects of plant health protecting product applications on the root-associated microbiota of apple saplings and strawberries

The root-associated microbiome has been of keen research interest especially in the last decade due to the large potential for increasing overall plant performance in agricultural systems. Here, continuous applications of plant health protecting products are essential for obtaining high yields and quality. However, knowledge about the impact of applications on the root-associated microbiome remains limited, especially when applied above ground. We addressed this by applying five different plant health protecting products from different groups, including biological agents in two model systems. We hypothesized that these lead to plant-mediated responses in the rhizosphere microbiota.