Effective strategies for mitigating these obstacles, the impact of different cropping systems

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the future work and future-work section and stated challenges and abstract of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 2024 and 2026, spanning 4 journals. Those papers have been cited 39 times in total.

Supporting evidence — 4 representative gaps

• Potato Microbiome: Relationship with Environmental Factors and Approaches for Microbiome Modulation (2024) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · cited 36× · doi

  There are many factors influencing the potato microbiome, which can be divided into two parts: “core”, the most common microorganisms, and “satellite”, whose structure is subjected to more significant changes under the influence of external factors. The main source of microorganisms for the potato microbiome, regardless of variety, is the soil, as well as those fungi and bacteria that are contained in the seed tubers. As the plant grows, the microbiome generally remains quite stable, especially in the post-flowering stages, but may undergo changes under the influence of both abiotic and biotic factors discussed in our review. The most dangerous potato diseases have a bacterial (wilt, blackleg and soft rot symptoms and common scab) or oomycetal (late blight, early blight, black scurf, dry rots, silver scurf, wart and charcoal rots) nature. It is important to distinguish pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains (e.g., Streptomyces) and Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25, 750 14 of 20 use the latter to control the diseases. The complex mechanism of pathogen inhibition by the non-pathogenic strain apparently involves other bacterial species. It is worth noting that incorporating metabolomic and proteomic data with metagenomic analysis could lead to a more profound understanding of this mechanism. Interestingly, in most studies, microbiome diversity was lower in healthy than in infected plants. It was suggested that microorganisms contributing to increasing microbiome diversity in diseased plants play a protective role against pathogens, which is consistent with the “cry for help” hypothesis, but it is important to evaluate the ability of potato plants to recruit beneficial microorganisms. Less obvious, but significant, is the role of insects in the development of the potato microbiome. For example, insects are carriers of various bacteria, fungi, oomycetes and protozoa, including pathogenic species. In response to insect attack, plants produce various substances, regulated by the activity of the endophytic microbiome of the potato, that are part of their defense system. Some species of the potato microbiome may serve as direct antagonists to insects by producing various compounds or by disrupting the insect microbiome to cause the death of the insect itself. Inoculation and microbial engineering are actively used to overcome the negative effects mentioned above, accelerate growth and increase potato yield. It allows significant improvements to be achieved without contaminating the soil with toxic substances that are destructive to beneficial microorganisms and insects. The most known and widely used biocontrol agents belong to the Pseudomonas and Bacillus taxa, but microbiome engineering approaches have not yet been described for potato. Drought- and pathogen-resistant potato varieties could be sources of microorganisms for further inoculation. While endophytic bacteria are commonly used as inoculants, a high-throughput cultivation pipeline has to be developed for potato plants. Using a microbial mixture rather than a monoculture represents a more promising approach due to the greater stability and adaptability of the resulting community. We suggest paying more attention to the metabolic potential of biofertilizers (inoculants) in addition to the microbiome structure. Moreover, the inoculated microorganisms, particularly in synthetic communities, may displace the autochthonous species, which could disrupt the metabolic networks in the microbiome. In addition to whole-genome data, the gene network approach could disentangle some complex plant– microbe interactions. All this allows us to highlight the great role of the microbiome in the functioning and development of potato and its defence mechanisms when faced with negative impacts. With proper study, such protective microbiome-associated mechanisms can be artificially regulated. We summarized the major findings of the potato plant microbiome, covered In order to achieve a better reproducibility and an in the present review in Table 2. easy comparison of the results, we recommend the development of a protocol for potato plant microbiome studies where the irrigation regime, physico-chemical soil properties, sample preparation and DNA extraction technique could be standardized. To employ the full potential of the potato microbiome, future studies could use a combined approach including microbiology, metagenomics, metatranscriptomics and metabolomics methods. Table 2. Summary of the major findings of the potato plant microbiome.

  generalfuture work
  Keywords: microbiome potato microorganisms plant plants pathogenic species insects factors significant soil bacteria role development various
• Antifungal capacity and field validation of native Bacillus subtilis strains for sustainable potato disease control (2026) · Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control · doi

  Future studies can investigate the use of native Bacillus subtilis strains in combination with other biocontrol agents. Future research can explore the potential of these strains for controlling other plant diseases. Future studies can evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of using native Bacillus subtilis strains for potato disease management.

  generalfuture-work sectionevidence 5/5
  Keywords: future studies investigate use native bacillus subtilis strains
• Role of Intercropping, Herbicides and Fungicides in Compensating for the Lack of Crop Rotation in Long-Term Continuous Cropping of Two Potato Cultivars (2026) · Agriculture · cited 1× · doi

  The study identifies soil sickness and the accumulation of harmful compounds as major challenges in continuous potato cropping. It also highlights the need to balance soil microorganisms and nutrient concentrations. The paper mentions the increased susceptibility to diseases and pests as a significant challenge in continuous potato cropping.

  generalstated challengesevidence 5/5
  Keywords: study identifies soil sickness accumulation harmful compounds major
• Effects of different planting patterns on potato rhizosphere soil microbial composition and yield (2026) · BMC Microbiology · cited 2× · doi

  While numerous studies have explored effective strategies for mitigating these obstacles, the impact of different cropping systems on potato yield and rhizosphere microbial communities remain insufficiently understood.

  generalabstractevidence 4/5
  Keywords: numerous explored effective strategies mitigating obstacles impact different cropping systems potato yield rhizosphere microbial communities

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