{"id":3490,"date":"2026-04-29T05:00:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T05:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatesmartagrifood.ca\/?p=3490"},"modified":"2026-03-10T22:19:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T22:19:10","slug":"via-microbiome-passaging-by-benefit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatesmartagrifood.ca\/fr\/via-microbiome-passaging-by-benefit\/","title":{"rendered":"[Research Roundup] Building Healthier Soil via Microbiome Passaging by BENEFIT"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"3490\" class=\"elementor elementor-3490\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-particle_enable=\"false\" data-particle-mobile-disabled=\"false\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-660dbe53 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"660dbe53\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5bc5426b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5bc5426b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In this study, members of the\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">BENEFIT<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0team explored\u00a0different ways\u00a0to repeatedly transfer microbiomes in soil and plant systems to see how those choices shape the microbes that develop.\u00a0The researchers show that each design can lead to different outcomes, helping us better understand ways to guide microbial communities that support healthy crops and soils.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><h3 aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Keywords<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:80}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3><ul><li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Microbiome passaging<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279,&quot;335559991&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li><li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Microbe\u00a0\/ Microbiome<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279,&quot;335559991&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li><li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Microbial functions<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279,&quot;335559991&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-172618c elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"172618c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1ry_en3bEbcwUaNzZdRhKz1HN4eMtbGZu\/view?usp=sharing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/climatesmartagrifood.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/BENEFIT-Bell-et-al-2025-1024x576.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-3505\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/climatesmartagrifood.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/BENEFIT-Bell-et-al-2025-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/climatesmartagrifood.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/BENEFIT-Bell-et-al-2025-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/climatesmartagrifood.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/BENEFIT-Bell-et-al-2025-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/climatesmartagrifood.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/BENEFIT-Bell-et-al-2025-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/climatesmartagrifood.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/BENEFIT-Bell-et-al-2025-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/climatesmartagrifood.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/BENEFIT-Bell-et-al-2025.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Click to view this visual abstract as a PDF<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-74cf197 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"74cf197\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Research Highlights<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:80}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3><ul><li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Microbiomes, or the community of microbes, shape soil health, nutrient cycling, and plant growth<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279,&quot;335559991&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li><li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">But microbial functions are far less predictable and controllable than fertilizer use, crop growth, or plant breeding<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279,&quot;335559991&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li><li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">With no single best strategy, diverse <em>iterative microbiome passaging<\/em>* (repeatedly transferring microbes to select those that improve useful functions) designs can unlock the full potential of microbial synergies, improving plant performance and\u00a0soil health\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279,&quot;335559991&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li><\/ul><h3 aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Editorial Reflections<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:80,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What stands out in this work is that there\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0one \u201cbest\u201d way to do microbiome passaging; each approach brings out different strengths in the microbial community. The study highlights how important it is to think carefully about how experiments are set up, because small design choices can make\u00a0a big difference\u00a0in the results and in how we use microbiomes to improve agriculture.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">BENEFIT<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> project aims to develop microbial bio-inoculants to improve crop growth in Canadian agriculture by\u00a0ultimately helping\u00a0to reduce the need for traditional fertilizers. The researchers are developing microbial strains to enhance crop productivity in cereals, brassicas, and legumes in Canadian soils.\u00a0Contributing authors from the team are\u00a0(in alphabetical order):<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559685&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/hooman-ahmadpanah\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Hooman\u00a0Ahmadpanah<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> \u2013 Undergraduate researcher, University of Toronto<\/span><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/terrencehbell\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Terrence Bell<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> \u2013 Activity 3 Lead of the BENEFIT Project, Univeristy of Toronto<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Curious about Team\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">BENEFIT<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u2019s ongoing work? Visit\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.queensu.ca\/microbes-for-agriculture\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">queensu.ca\/microbes-for-agriculture<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0to learn more.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559685&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Food for Thought:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Read the\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1094\/PBIOMES-11-24-0113-P\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">full article here<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.\u00a0What potential advantages do you see in using iterative microbiome passaging compared to traditional approaches for improving soil or plant health?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><h3 aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">References<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:80}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Bell, T. H., Percy, S.,\u00a0Ahmadpanah, H., Ye, R., Blakney, A., Reardon, K., &amp; King, W. L. (2025). Exploring diverse approaches to iterative microbiome passaging in soil and plant systems.\u00a0Phytobiomes\u00a0Journal, 9(3), [Article 359\u2013368].\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1094\/PBIOMES-11-24-0113-P\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1094\/PBIOMES-11-24-0113-P<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b71ab37 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"b71ab37\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0abeafc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0abeafc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">About the Climate-Smart Agri-Food Network<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:80}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3><p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Funded by Genome Canada through the\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/genomecanada.ca\/challenge-areas\/climate-smart-agriculture-and-food-systems\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Climate\u2011Smart Agriculture and Food Systems<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0portfolio, the Network brings together nine Interdisciplinary Challenge Teams (ICTs) and two hubs \u2014 the\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/climatesmartagrifood.ca\/ag-act-agricultural-genomics-action-centre\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Agricultural Genomics Action Centre (AG\u2011ACt)<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0and the\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/climatesmartagrifood.ca\/cs-dcc-climate-smart-data-collaboration-centre\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Climate\u2011Smart Data Collaboration Centre (CS\u2011DCC)<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0\u2014 to advance climate\u2011smart agriculture through genomic innovations.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this study, members of the\u00a0BENEFIT\u00a0team explored\u00a0different ways\u00a0to repeatedly transfer microbiomes in soil and plant systems to see how those choices shape the microbes that develop.\u00a0The researchers show that each design can lead to different outcomes, helping us better understand ways to guide microbial communities that support healthy crops and soils.\u00a0 Keywords\u00a0 Microbiome passaging\u00a0 Microbe\u00a0\/ [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3504,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3490","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-homepage-news","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatesmartagrifood.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3490","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatesmartagrifood.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatesmartagrifood.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatesmartagrifood.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatesmartagrifood.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3490"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/climatesmartagrifood.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3490\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3686,"href":"https:\/\/climatesmartagrifood.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3490\/revisions\/3686"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatesmartagrifood.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3504"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatesmartagrifood.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatesmartagrifood.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3490"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatesmartagrifood.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}