Highlights
- Kiwifruit Vine Decline Syndrome induces root microbiome dysbiosis with reduced diversity.
- Dysbiosis correlates with the host health status and phenological stage.
- KVDS-plants show upregulated defence genes and hormonal imbalances.
- A microbiome dysbiosis vs. host immunity feedback loop may exacerbate vines’ decline.
- Combined analyses of the microbiome and omics will support management strategies.
Antonella Cardacino, Silvia Turco, Leandro Pereira-Dias, Paulo Ricardo Oliveira-Pinto, Maria Conceição Santos, Giorgio Mariano Balestra, Physiological and molecular drivers of Kiwifruit Vine Decline Syndrome: microbial community shifts, defence gene expression, and hormone dynamics, Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology, Volume 144, 2026, 103194, ISSN 0885-5765, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmpp.2026.103194.