Microbes for pest control in greenhouses: merging ecological, agronomic, and molecular aspects

Abstract: Microbes are emerging as a key component in multiple fields, including agricultural sciences. Soil microbes have several beneficial functions such as promoting plant growth and inducing resistance against insect pests. The plant-mediated mechanisms are quickly being unraveled, but still a main challenge is to predict when and how microbial inoculants can be effective. New approaches that take into account the microbial diversity of soils, such as the management of the soil microbiomes, could provide new solutions. Merging the latest advances in microbe-plant-insect interactions will help plants to deal with insects more consistently.