English: Possible routes of colonization of potato tubers by bacteria.

Microbiota colonizing the rhizosphere, entering the roots and colonizing the next tuber generation via the stolons, are visualized with a red color. Bacteria present in the mother tuber, passing through the stolons and migrating into the plant as well as into the next generation of tubers are shown in blue.

• The soil is the main reservoir for bacteria that colonize potato tubers
• Bacteria are recruited from the soil more or less independent of the potato variety
• Bacteria might colonize the tubers predominantly from the inside of plants via the stolon
• The bacterial microbiota of potato tubers consists of bacteria transmitted from one tuber generation to the next and bacteria recruited from the soil colonize potato plants via the roots