Microbiome of rice seeds during storage (4 degrees)

Seed endophytes have received particular attention as they may be important founders of the plant microbial community, which is essential for plant growth and health. However, a comprehensive understanding of the assembly of the seed microbiome during seed development and maturation, fate of the microbes during storage, and migration of the microbes during seedling growth is still inadequate. In this study, we employed culture-dependent and metagenomic analyses to understand the assembly and fate of endogenous bacteria in rice seeds during storage. The temporal dynamics of the bacterial community during seed storage provides clues for the manipulation of endogenous bacteria in rice plants.