Protists: Puppet Masters of the Rhizosphere Microbiome
Highlights
The rhizosphere microbiome is a major determinant of plant fitness.
The mechanisms driving microbiome assembly are, however, widely unknown, impeding its efficient management.
Here we present free-living protists as an overlooked yet core component of the microbiome that may offer a powerful leverage to improve microbiome function.
Protists shape microbiome structure by consuming bacteria and fungi and can select for plant-beneficial functional traits.
Protist predation increases microbiome provisioning of services required to improve plant growth and health.