42-Steering Soil Microbiomes to Suppress Abovegrou

42-Steering Soil Microbiomes to Suppress Aboveground Insect Pests.OpinionSteeringSoilMicrobiomestoSuppressAbovegroundInsectPestsAnaPineda,1,*,@IanKaplan,2andT.MartijnBezemer1,3Soil-bornemicrobesaffectabovegroundherbivorousinsectsthroughacas-cadeofmolecularandchemicalchangesintheplant,butknowledgeofthesemicrobe–plant–insectinteractionsismostlylimitedtooneorafewmicrobialstrains.Yet,thesoilmicrobialcommunitycomprisesthousandsofuniquetaxainteractingincomplexnetworks,theso-called‘microbiome’,whichprovidesplantswithmultiplebeneficialfunctions.Therehasbeenlittleexplorationoftheroleandmanagementofwholemicrobiomesinplant–insectinteractions,call-ingfortheintegrationofthiscomplexityinaboveground–belowgroundresearch.Here,weproposeholisticapproachestoselectsoilmicrobiomesthatcanbeusedtoprotectplantsfromabovegroundattackers.MicrobesConferringImmunityinthePhytobiomeThelateentomologist,ThomasEisner,oncefamouslystated,‘BugsarenotgoingtoinherittheEarth.Theyownitnow’[1].However,inlightofon-goingdiscoveri