Mapping Wheat Core Microbial Landscapes: A Regional and Historical Analysis of Wheat Core Microbiomes Across England for Enhancing Crop Sustainability

Wheat holds significant importance in the UK, making it a cornerstone of the agricultural sector. Economically, the cereals sector's value has more than doubled over the past five years, reaching £4.4 billion (Bedford, 2024), in 2021 wheat contributed approximately £2.4 billion to the UK economy according to DEFRA (DEFRA, 2022). Agronomically, the UK's temperate climate and regular rainfall create ideal conditions for wheat cultivation, hence '40% of the arable cropping area in the UK is dedicated to wheat production' (DEFRA, 2018). Beyond for human consumption wheat production helps to support other sectors in the UK for example supporting the livestock industry by providing animal feed, and it also serves as a renewable alternative to petrol.

The significance of wheat to the UK drives the aim of my research, which is to leverage wheat core microbial data to enhance production processes and soil management. Within the broader topic of soil health, my project will focus on identifying the core microbial community of the wheat plant. Similar to the human microbiome, plant-associated microorganisms play a crucial role in the host's (soil) health and development. The core microbiome comprises consistent members of a dataset, reflecting functional relationships with the host. By defining the core microbiome, we can distinguish permanent microbes from transient ones and target them for manipulation to improve crop production.

There is a pressing need for spatial analyses of the core microbiome associated with wheat at a regional level in the UK. Michl, Berg, and Cernava (2023) emphasise the importance of studying the geographical variability of plant microbiome communities and their functions, as findings can vary significantly across different locations and environments. Detailed microbial profiling is essential for identifying distinct microbial communities and their spatial distribution. This approach enables us to pinpoint key microbes that contribute to desirable traits in climate-resilient and stress-tolerant crops, as well as those fundamental to the general physiological functions of wheat plants.

Mapping the wheat core microbiome, combined with consultations with local wheat farmers and archival research on historical land use, provides a comprehensive view of how past practices have shaped current microbiome diversity. This approach adds a crucial social dimension to this interdisciplinary thesis, bridging the gap between biological insights and agricultural history to form a coherent narrative on the impacts of historical land use on soil health and functionality.

The integration of biological insights and agricultural history will culminate in an interactive map layered with specific microbial, historical, and geographical information for wheat-producing locations across England. This tool will be accessible to producers, enabling them to develop targeted strategies to improve soil health, achieve sustainable wheat production, and enhance other desirable agricultural characteristics.