Modulating Drought Stress Response of Maize by a Synthetic Bacterial Community

Plant perception and responses to environmental stresses are known to encompass a complex set of mechanisms in which the microbiome is involved. Knowledge about plant physiological responses is therefore critical for understanding the contribution of the microbiome to plant resilience. However, as plant growth is a dynamic process, a major hurdle is to find appropriate tools to effectively measure temporal variations of different plant physiological parameters. Here, we used a non-invasive real-time phenotyping platform in a one-to-one (plant–sensors) set up to investigate the impact of a synthetic community (SynCom) harboring plant-beneficial bacteria on the physiology and response of three commercial maize hybrids to drought stress (DS). SynCom inoculation significantly reduced yield loss and modulated vital physiological traits. SynCom-inoculated plants displayed lower leaf temperature, reduced turgor loss under severe DS and a faster recovery upon rehydration, likely as a result of sap flow modulation and better water usage. Microbiome profiling revealed that SynCom bacterial members were able to robustly colonize mature plants and recruit soil/seed-borne beneficial microbes. The high-resolution temporal data allowed us to record instant plant responses to daily environmental fluctuations, thus revealing the impact of the microbiome in modulating maize physiology, resilience to drought, and crop productivity.