Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p>Drought intensification due to climate change poses a significant constraint on global sugarcane security, as sugarcane requires substantial water for optimal growth. While Synthetic Communities (SynComs) offer potential to improve drought resilience, their application and mechanisms of action remain murky, particularly in sugarcane. Here, we used transcriptomics analysis to examine how SynComs may modulate responses to drought stress in sugarcane. We examined five potential SynComs (SC) and selected SC3, a promising consortium, for detailed gene expression analysis. This selection was based on the excellent performance of SC3-inoculated plants, as indicated by higher plant height, P uptake, and osmoprotectant content compared to other SynComs and control (C) plants. Transcriptomic analysis revealed differences in signal transduction: in SC3-inoculated plants, MAPK signaling was prominent, whereas in C plants, signaling relied more on plant hormones. Moreover, differences in energy allocation and secondary metabolite production as defense responses to drought stress were observed. SC3-inoculated plants appear to allocate energy to maintaining lipid membrane integrity and lignification, while C plants focus on antioxidant activity via flavonoids. The results indicate that bacterial SynComs inoculants can modulate drought stress responses. Overall, our study suggests that SynComs offer sustainable solutions to drought challenges in agriculture.</p>