Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41935333›Full record

ReviewMicrobiome2026

What do we know about the seed microbiome?

Xiangning Qi, Decai Jin, Expedito Olimi, Xiaoyulong Chen, Tomislav Cernava

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Microbiome, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Xiangning Qi *School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK.
Decai Jin *Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China.
Expedito OlimiSchool of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-2549-0301
Xiaoyulong ChenCollege of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China. ylcx@gzu.edu.cn.
Tomislav CernavaSchool of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK. t.cernava@soton.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0001-7772-4080

Funding

Austrian Science Fund doi.org/10.55776/J4753Guizhou Provincial Science and Technology Program CXTD[2025]041National Key Research and Development Program of China 2024YFD1501602Program for Introducing Talents to Chinese Universities (111 Program) D20023
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The seed microbiome supports plant health and increases resilience under adverse environmental conditions. Seeds are also an important vector for transgenerational transfer of the plant microbiota. Even though research over the last decade has provided valuable insights into the functional roles of seed-associated microbes, these important members of the plant microbiome remain underexplored. This review systematically highlights recently discovered key functions of the seed microbiota. It covers taxonomic composition and diversity across plant species, transmission mechanisms, functional roles in germination and seedling establishment, growth promotion, and stress resistance. The review also addresses methodological challenges and highlights critical open questions regarding assembly, spatial compartmentalization, and translation into applications. Further research into seed microbiomes has the potential to not only increase the sustainability in plant production but also to increase food security in a changing climate. Reaching such outcomes will be facilitated by mechanistic studies that will disclose the remaining secrets of plant-microbe interplay at the very first developmental stage of most plants that nowadays inhabit Earth. Video Abstract.

Indexed as

BacteriaMicrobiotaPlantsSeedsEndophytesGerminationSeedlingsPlant endophytesPlant–microbe interactionsPlant microbiomeSeed endophytesSeed microbiotaTransgenerational inheritance

Identifiers

PMID41935333
PMCPMC13050488

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.