Abstract

Plant domestication can be viewed as a form of co-evolved interspecific mutualism between humans and crops for the benefit of the two partners. In this talk, we will review how this plant–human mutualism has, in turn, impacted beneficial interactions within crop species, between crop species, and between crops and their associated microbial partners. We will focus on beneficial interactions resulting from three main mechanisms that can be promoted by manipulating genetic diversity in agrosystems: niche partitioning, facilitation, and kin selection. We will then discuss how plant breeding and agricultural practices can help promoting beneficial interactions within and between species in the context of agroecology where the mobilization of diversity and complexity of crop interactions is viewed as a keystone of agroecosystem sustainability.