Fig. 4: Holobiont approaches for next-generation agriculture.Beneficial microbes can reduce the agricultural use of fertilizers and chemical pesticides, and contribute to rhizosphere carbon sink capacity (A). Rhizosphere microbiomes from plants inhabiting extreme environments or stress-tolerant cultivars and can be transplanted can be used in phytoremediation and soil improvement approaches (B). Synthetic microbial communities (SynCom) can augment crop quality. High quality crop production systems can be used to source SynComs. High-throughput sequencing and systems biology approaches can be used to identify appropriate SynCom systems. Network analysis provides information on core microbial taxa and hubs and facilitates the selection of best candidate microbes for further screening. The efficacy and ecological impacts of SynComs must be validated in field studies (C). Composites of the signaling chemicals found in root exudates including flavonoids, γ-aminobutyric acid, malate, and citrate can be applied to soils to attract beneficial microbes (D). Nanomaterial-based approaches are also an attractive approach for improving plant health by releasing trapped soil nutrients and modulating root exudates (E).