July 1, 2025

In June 2025, an international research group including the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), University of Vienna (Austria), University of Alberta (Canada), International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT, Mexico), Murdoch University (Australia), and Michigan State University (USA) published an opinion paper in the U.S.-based international plant science review journal Trends in Plant Science (published by Cell Press).

The paper advocates for sustainable agriculture by harnessing the natural diversity in interactions between crops and their symbiotic microorganisms. It focuses on the evolutionary influence of plant-microbe interactions and emphasizes the importance of elucidating the molecular ecology of the plant holobiont — the collective of plants and their associated symbiotic microorganisms.

In recent years, JIRCAS has been at the forefront of researching the natural phenomenon known as Biological Nitrification Inhibition (BNI) and developing methods to harness its potential. BNI has attracted considerable attention in sustainable agriculture, and its effective application is expected to bring significant benefits to the advancement of sustainable farming practices.

The paper also proposes research pathways to deepen understanding of the natural diversity in plant holobionts. This approach aims to address modern agricultural challenges such as promoting crop growth, enhancing stress tolerance, improving nitrogen use efficiency, utilizing BNI, maintaining healthy soils, and establishing more natural fertilization methods. To discover new genetic diversity from previously untapped genetic resources and apply them to breeding, the paper suggests combining metabolomics, proteomics, and mathematical modeling (the “PANOMICS approach”) with genome-wide association studies (GWAS). This enables identification of candidate plant genes that control root exudates, soil microbial communities, and BNI activity.

These efforts suggest that deeply understanding the natural diversity of plant holobionts in agricultural ecosystems will significantly contribute to developing climate-resilient crop varieties and achieving food security.

Building on its pioneering BNI technology, JIRCAS aims to develop techniques that reduce environmental impact from nitrogen fertilizers in agriculture. Since its August 31, 2021 press release “World’s first successful development of wheat that shows high productivity with less nitrogen fertilizer,” JIRCAS has been advancing research toward practical application of BNI technology. JIRCAS also leads the BNI International Consortium, coordinating global BNI research. Going forward, JIRCAS will collaborate with consortium members to promote international joint research for deeper understanding and sustainable agricultural application of BNI technology.

Related Information

Funding

Operating Expenses Grant Project: "Development of planet-friendly agricultural production system using biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) technology."

Authors

W. Weckwerth, P. Chaturvedi, A. Ghatak, M. Kerou, V. Garg, A. Bohra, G.V. Subbarao, L. Stein, C. Schleper, R.K. Varshney, S. Snapp

Paper Title

Natural variation of the holobiont for sustainable agroecosystems

Journal Title

Trends in Plant Science
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2025.05.006

JIRCAS President: KOYAMA Osamu

Program Director:

 HAYASHI Keiichi

Research Staff:

Guntur V. Subbarao (Crop, Environment and Livestock Division)

Press Coordinator:

OMORI Keisuke (Head, Information and Public Relations Office)
Email: koho-jircas@ml.affrc.go.jp