Researchers at the University of Glasgow and the Forman Christian College University, Pakistan, are pioneering a groundbreaking approach to combat the devastating Cotton Leaf Curl Disease (CLCuD) through microbiota transplantation.
For decades Cotton Leaf Curl Disease has been devastating cotton crops across the world, especially Southeast Asia. Pakistan, a leading high-quality cotton-producing country, faces a severe challenge due to the biotic stresses encountered by the cotton crop.
A consistent crop loss and yield reductions of up to 35% have placed Pakistan’s textile industry on the verge of crashing. While the annual economic loss of $2 billion USD is a severe blow to the country’s economy, it has also become a critical concern for sustainability scientists.
Traditional methods, including chemical treatments and genetic modifications, have had limited success in tackling the disease. However, researchers are now exploring an innovative strategy—transplanting entire microbial communities from disease-resistant cotton species to susceptible ones.
(a) Culturable microbial community from the donor, G. arboreum, rhizosphere. (b) G. hirsutum plant under rhizospheric transplantation from donor G. arboreum, showing significantly reduced symptoms of CLCuD until 40 days post CLCuV-inoculation.
(a) Culturable microbial community from the donor, G. arboreum, rhizosphere. (b) G. hirsutum plant under rhizospheric transplantation from donor G. arboreum, showing significantly reduced symptoms of CLCuD until 40 days post CLCuV-inoculation.
This research, published in Communications Biology, focuses on transferring rhizospheric (root-associated) and phyllospheric (leaf-associated) microbiota from Gossypium arboreum—a naturally resistant cotton species but not useful for good fabric production—to Gossypium hirsutum, which is highly susceptible to CLCuD but highly valuable for fabric production.
“Organ transplantation has always been mainstreamed in human health and our minds often jump to organ donations in humans. But what we thought of was, why not plants? What if plants can have their own version of transplants as well? Not of organs, but of something equally vital, and that is their microbiome”, says Ayesha Badar, first author and PhD researcher for the study.
Preliminary results indicate that rhizospheric microbiota transplantation significantly reduces disease incidence, outperforming traditional treatments such as salicylic acid application.
While the researchers have found that interspecies microbiota transplantation contributes to viral disease tolerance in cotton plants, their study also states: ‘The rhizosphere of CLCuD-resistant G. arboreum (Rhi.RMF) appeared to harbour selective beneficial bacterial genera which, when transplanted onto susceptible host species G. hirsutum, imparted not only disease suppression but enhanced growth rate as well.’
Dr Umer Zeeshan Ijaz from the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering, a leading expert in bioinformatics, plays a key role in analyzing the complex microbial interactions involved in this process. "Using advanced sequencing techniques, we can decode the microbial communities responsible for disease suppression, paving the way for targeted microbiome-based interventions," he said.
Dr Kauser Abdulla Malik, Professor and Dean of Postgraduate Studies at Forman Christian College University, explains: "Due to the advent of CLCuD in the early 1990s, the cotton production drastically reduced. The National Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Pakistan, where I was Director at the time, pioneered CLCuV isolation and characterization. Despite employing RNAi and other advanced techniques, viral mutations rendered resistance efforts unsuccessful.
“After decades of battling with CLCuV in Pakistan, now, by leveraging the power of beneficial microbes, we are developing a sustainable, biological solution to improve crop resilience. This research marks a shift from conventional disease management to harnessing nature’s own defense mechanisms."
Plant growth pattern for the CLCuV-infected and uninfected G. hirsutum species of cotton
The findings of this research hold immense potential for sustainable agriculture. By reducing dependency on chemical pesticides and fostering natural plant defenses, microbiota transplantation could become a game-changer in managing plant diseases globally.
The research team envisions future applications of this method in various crops, expanding the scope of microbiome-based disease management. This work highlights the power of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing agricultural challenges and underscores Pakistan’s contribution to cutting-edge scientific advancements in plant health.
The team’s paper, titled ‘Microbiota transplantation for cotton leaf curl disease suppression—core microbiome and transcriptome dynamics’, is published in Communications Biology.
First published: 7 March 2025