Benzoic Acid Secreted From the Chickpea Root Promotes Persistent Colonisation by Specific Soil Microbes.

Benzoic acid secretion from chickpea roots is linked to persistent colonisation by specific Burkholderia microbes across diverse soils.

• Why it matters: Understanding how roots select and maintain beneficial microbes can improve crop resilience and soil health, addressing gaps in knowledge about root-microbe interactions.
• What they did: The study examined chickpea root exudates and microbiomes in different soils, identifying a high benzoic acid-secreting genotype that consistently hosted three core Burkholderia ASV, with two strains showing BA tolerance and degradation ability.
• The result: Findings suggest that root exudation of benzoic acid influences microbial colonisation, enabling specific microbes to persist, which could inform strategies to enhance beneficial root-microbe relationships in agriculture.