HYDERABAD: A breakthrough that could improve India’s Millet Mission and promote sustainable farming has been achieved by a global team of scientists including researchers from the University of Hyderabad (UoH). They found that crop wild progenitors (CWPs) are essential for sustainable ecosystems and offer insights for future agriculture
The research, published in ISME Communications, is titled “Native Edaphoclimatic Regions Shape Soil Communities of Crop Wild Progenitors.” Led by María José Fernández-Alonso of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, it involved 25 research groups from 11 countries, with significant contributions from UoH’s Professor Appa Rao Podile and Dr Ch. Danteswari.
The team analysed 125 populations of 10 CWPs and found rich microbial ecosystems in their soils. They identified four major ecoregions based on soil characteristics, revealing that despite ecological differences, all CWPs shared a “core” microbiome, indicating a disrupted ancient plant-soil partnership.
Tropical soils were inhabited by acid-loving bacteria and fungal parasites, while desert soils thrived with decomposer fungi and protists. Each wild species acted as a keystone species, vital for underground biodiversity. Professor Appa Rao Podile said, “Understanding the natural microbiomes of wild crops helps us reconnect agriculture with its ecological roots.”
From India’s perspective, the findings directly support the Millet Mission, Dr Ch Danteswari told TNIE, “To improve the crop resilience towards climate change, we would like to bring back the missing microbiota from these wild relatives. These are the primitive agricultural footprints. So we are looking to promote and produce sustainable agricultural models with a focus on pest resilience.”
Asked whether studying wild millet relatives improves resilience in modern crops, Dr Danteswari said, “Due to modern agricultural practices, we have now studied important microbiomes. By studying these wild populations in microbiomes, we will understand which important microbes are present in these populations which were missing in our modern cultivars.”
Speaking on India’s next steps, the UoH team told TNIE, “First, biodiversity should be protected; second, and very important, it is important to focus on microbiome-tailored breeding to bring back the missing microbiomes that are present in our wild relatives and modern cultivars. The study’s findings can influence sustainable agricultural practices in India, especially in semi-arid and nutrient-poor regions,” they said.