The invention relates to methods for the screening, identification and/or application of microorganisms of use in imparting beneficial properties to plants. In one embodiment, the method involves identifying one or more plant markers associated with a beneficial property, subjecting one or more plants to a growth medium in the presence of a set of microorganisms, selecting one or more plants on the basis that the one or more plant markers is present, acquiring one or more microorganisms associated with the selected plant(s) and repeating the process one or more times.
