Root Exudate Metabolites Alter Food Crops Microbiomes, Impacting Plant Biocontrol and Growth
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
This review focus on the role of plant metabolites from root exudates in fostering beneficial interactions with the surrounding soil microbiota which would help plants to better adjust to changing environmental conditions. It emphasizes the expression, levels, modes of action, and net effects of the signaling metabolites that help food crop plants to become colonized by microbes that promote plant growth and development under periods of biotic stress.
It is very interesting and provides a helpful guideline for further study on the interaction between plant and soil microbes. However, I think it will be better after revising the logic in paragraphs.
Such as the discussion on the root exudates in lines 48-52, should be shown at the end of last paragraph in part 1, which will be connected to part 2.
Many paragraphs, such as part 2 firs paragraphs in part 3, are too long to show the topic clearly.
Part 3 should be moved to before part 2.
In the discussion on the Indirect mechanisms decrease the damage or growth inhibition to the plant by various phytopathogens, it should be included the effect of symbiotic microorganism on the phytopathogens. Because some reports showed that the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community could increase fungal competition and so on. Such as the review by Adam Frew et al. 2023, New Phytologist.
Comments on the Quality of English Language
It is well and I read it as a published paper.
Author Response
Thank you so much for your time in reviewing this work. Please see below for the detailed responses to the comments.
Reviewer 1
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
This review focus on the role of plant metabolites from root exudates in fostering beneficial interactions with the surrounding soil microbiota which would help plants to better adjust to changing environmental conditions. It emphasizes the expression, levels, modes of action, and net effects of the signaling metabolites that help food crop plants to become colonized by microbes that promote plant growth and development under periods of biotic stress.
It is very interesting and provides a helpful guideline for further study on the interaction between plant and soil microbes. However, I think it will be better after revising the logic in paragraphs.
Comment 1: Such as the discussion on the root exudates in lines 48-52, should be shown at the end of last paragraph in part 1, which will be connected to part 2.
Response 1: Moved as suggested
Comment 2: Many paragraphs, such as part 2 firs paragraphs in part 3, are too long to show the topic clearly.
Response 2: The paragraphing of the manuscript has been restructured and your suggestion has been considered in doing so.
Comment 3: Part 3 should be moved to before part 2.
Response 3: Moved as suggested
Comment 4: In the discussion on the Indirect mechanisms decrease the damage or growth inhibition to the plant by various phytopathogens, it should be included the effect of symbiotic microorganism on the phytopathogens. Because some reports showed that the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community could increase fungal competition and so on. Such as the review by Adam Frew et al. 2023, New Phytologist.
Response 4: The reference has been consulted and cited. The text in the manuscript has been modified as suggested.
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
The review "Root exudate metabolites alter food crops microbiomes, impacting plant biocontrol and growth" is overall interesting, relevant, and generally well-written. The topic of metabolites and microbiomes, including plant biocontrol and growth, is highly topical. It would add interesting information to this research area. The title is fully justified by the actual content of the manuscript which is competently presented and well structured. However, I think that data compilation could be done in a more exhaustive way with graphs or figures that bring together the most interesting results of the works published to date.
I have just a few minor comments/suggestions for the authors to consider
Although I am not sufficiently qualified to correct the English language, I think that there are some sentences that need to be corrected, e.g
In addition, the following references should be revised:
- Page 3 L108 Zhou et al 2023 not included in the reference list.
- Page 8 L179 and L284 Paredes et al 2018; Is it right?
- Page 8 L322 Aziz et al., 2022; Is it right?
Author Response
Thank you so much for your time in reviewing this work. Your comments and suggestions definitely improved the overall quality of the manuscript.
Reviewer 2
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
The review "Root exudate metabolites alter food crops microbiomes, impacting plant biocontrol and growth" is overall interesting, relevant, and generally well-written. The topic of metabolites and microbiomes, including plant biocontrol and growth, is highly topical. It would add interesting information to this research area. The title is fully justified by the actual content of the manuscript which is competently presented and well structured. However, I think that data compilation could be done in a more exhaustive way with graphs or figures that bring together the most interesting results of the works published to date.
I have just a few minor comments/suggestions for the authors to consider
Although I am not sufficiently qualified to correct the English language, I think that there are some sentences that need to be corrected, e.g
Response: Although, we did not see specific e.g., that you pointed out due to some website glitch. But the overall manuscript has been revised and paragraphs are restructured.
In addition, the following references should be revised:
Comment 1: Page 3 L108 Zhou et al 2023 not included in the reference list.
Response 1: Thanks for the review, the reference has been updated to the reference list.
Comment 2: Page 8 L179 and L284 Paredes et al 2018; Is it right?
Response 2: It was a mistake, thanks for catching it. It has been updated.
Comment 3: Page 8 L322 Aziz et al., 2022; Is it right?
Response 3: It was a mistake, thanks for catching it. It has been updated.
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
Dear authors,
The topic chosen by you is one of interest and topicality. I congratulate you for this. Overall, the elaborated manuscript is good and has a rich, well-chosen referential set.
However, I would have only 2 suggestions/recommendations that you should consider because solving them will certainly increase the value of your work. These are:
a) The schematic image (from Figure 1) is not very clear if it belongs to you or (is it made by you based on information extracted from the literature or is it taken over? If it is taken over then you should mention the source. Also the written characters in the scheme are illegible, the scheme should be redone with a clearer one, if it belongs to you. It is simple to modify, just change the characters with non-bold ones and possibly enlarge them.
b) The conclusions are redundant and should be strictly reduced to what you consider essential from those presented in the manuscript and some future perspectives. As a rule, bibliographic sources (authors, website links) are not included in the Conclusions. These should be expressed only through words, your opinions without references. Eventually, the information about the world's population and the growing trend can be moved to another place so as not to lose the reference.
In my judgment, any other shortcomings are minor.
Kind regards,
R
Author Response
Thank you so much for your time and expertise in reviewing this work. Your suggestions improved the overall quality of the manuscript.
Reviewer 3
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
Dear authors,
The topic chosen by you is one of interest and topicality. I congratulate you for this. Overall, the elaborated manuscript is good and has a rich, well-chosen referential set.
However, I would have only 2 suggestions/recommendations that you should consider because solving them will certainly increase the value of your work. These are:
Comment 1: a) The schematic image (from Figure 1) is not very clear if it belongs to you or (is it made by you based on information extracted from the literature or is it taken over? If it is taken over then you should mention the source. Also the written characters in the scheme are illegible, the scheme should be redone with a clearer one, if it belongs to you. It is simple to modify, just change the characters with non-bold ones and possibly enlarge them.
Response 1: The figure has been redone for clarity.
- b) The conclusions are redundant and should be strictly reduced to what you consider essential from those presented in the manuscript and some future perspectives. As a rule, bibliographic sources (authors, website links) are not included in the Conclusions. These should be expressed only through words, your opinions without references. Eventually, the information about the world's population and the growing trend can be moved to another place so as not to lose the reference.
Response 2: Thanks for the comment, care has been taken to accommodate them.
