Appreciation to co-authors Xiaoyulong Chen, Tomislav Cernava Berg Gabriele Carolina Lobato and Austrian Science Fund FWF for the funding that facilitated me to perform this study at the University of Southampton.

Understanding these interactions provides valuable opportunities for integrating microbiome-based strategies into plant breeding and crop improvement programs, ultimately supporting more resilient and sustainable agricultural systems.

The research findings reveal that plant genotype, more than location or parents' geography, primarily influences the microbiome. These findings highlight the strong association between host genetics and seed microbiome assembly.

The findings highlight the potential of microbiome management approaches for enhancing microbiota functions.

We show that living bacteria more than volatiles induce major shifts in the native soil and plant microbiome, emphasizing their attractiveness in application to their volatiles alone. This observation has implications regarding the merits of applying living microorganisms.