The current and future studies on plant root development and root microbiota

Root is one of the most important vegetable organs in higher plants, playing pivotal roles in plant anchoring in soil and uptake of water and nutrients. Plant roots interact with soil microbes named microbiota, which are related to many plant activities. Roots and root microbiota are essential for plant growth and plasticity in response to environmental stresses. Ideal root architecture and healthy root microbiota ensure stable crop yields under normal and stress conditions. It is urgent to incorporate theoretical breakthroughs of root research into crop breeding, which will promote the absorption and utilization of water and nutrients and help to fit the breeding goal of sustainable agriculture in our country. Subsequent work should focus on molecular mechanisms of crop root development and the interaction between plants and root microbiota, and the incorporation of ideal root architecture selection into crop breeding, which would be very important opportunities and challenges to achieve the green sustainable agriculture in China.