International Journal of Horticulture, 2024, Vol.14, No.3, 195-206 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/ijh 200 inoculants efficiently. This includes optimizing fermentation processes and developing formulations that enhance the shelf-life and stability of SynComs under various storage and application conditions (Wang et al., 2021). Another strategy involves the use of advanced biotechnological tools, such as omics technologies and machine learning, to design and optimize SynComs for specific crops and environmental conditions (Figure 2) (Pradhan et al., 2022). These tools can help identify key microbial traits and interactions that are critical for enhancing plant growth and resilience, thereby enabling the creation of more effective SynComs. Additionally, integrating SynComs with other sustainable agricultural practices, such as precision agriculture and digital twin technologies, can enhance their deployment and monitoring in commercial CEA systems (Chaux et al., 2021; Ojo and Zahid, 2022). This integration can facilitate real-time adjustments to environmental conditions and microbial applications, ensuring optimal performance of SynComs in the field. Figure 2 Proposed technical flow for artificial construction of a synthetic microbial community (SynCom) to augment plant fitness and productivity (Adopted from Trivedi et al., 2021) Image caption: Microbiomes from sites with disease suppression or better plant performance are characterized using multiomics techniques; The beneficial microbiome is selected through construction of an interaction network and potential key microbes are identified based on structural properties and/or functional modules; Individual microbial members are cultured using high-throughput platforms and characterized through genomic, metabolic and physiological analysis; The isolates are screened first for beneficial traits and then in binary microbe-microbe and in plant-microbiome interactions using microfluidics-based platforms; Desirable functions for microbes destined for inclusion in SynComs may be improved through synthetic biology; SynComs with different complexities are designed through predictive modeling that evaluates trait redundancy, dominance, modularity, interactions and assembly; SynComs are further validated for their plant growth promotion abilities in the glasshouse or using standardized fabricated ecosystems or microfluidic platforms for reproducible interrogation of beneficial traits; The most promising SynComs are applied to fields where a variety of sensors mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles coupled with mobile DNA sequencers will allow automated monitoring of the plant response and microbial community structures; Integration of microbiome-phenome-environment datasets will be used to forecast microbial dynamics and enable scaleup of SynCom application in smart farming systems (Adopted from Trivedi et al., 2021)
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