Abstract
The soil microbiome of agricultural crops is a fundamental element of agroecosystems, determining the growth, development and stability of plants in the agrocenosis. Interactions between plants and microorganisms are the result of long-term coevolution, which contributed to the formation of stable, mutually beneficial associations. One of the key strategies for stable colonization of plants is the formation of biofilms by microorganisms on the surface of roots.
Biofilms are organized communities of microorganisms immersed in a self-synthesized extracellular matrix. This structure provides microbiomes with protection from negative environmental influences and reactions of the plant's immune system. An in-depth understanding of the processes of biofilm formation allows us to develop new strategies for plant-microorganism interactions to increase plant resistance to abiotic stresses, including drought, salinity, heavy metal pollution, and also contributes to the formation of stable and highly productive agroecosystems.
During the experiment, it was found that the level of formation and maturity of biofilms on the roots of seedlings of different test crops depended to a large extent on their species, while the influence of the studied strains was less pronounced. After 48 hours of exposure, biofilm formation was observed on the roots of all studied plants, although the level of their maturity varied significantly. In particular, the minimum density of biofilms was characteristic of representatives of the Fabaceae family, while the maximum was characteristic of crops of the Poaceae family.