Responses of the Potato Rhizosphere Microbiome to Ralstonia solanacearum Infection and Their Roles in Binary Disease Outcomes

Bacterial wilt, caused by Ralstonia solanacearum (Rs), often is characterized by a symptomless latent infection (plants test positive for Rs but show no wilt symptoms). It remains unknown whether a latently infected potato plant can recruit a beneficial microbiome from the soil to resist Rs. In this study, we investigated the rhizosphere microbiomes of two potato cultivars with varying resistance to Rs, and three plant statuses: healthy (not inoculated with Rs), latently infected and diseased (infected with Rs).