Availability of phosphorus and the impact on the root microbiome of several eucalyptus species

• Grant number: 19/02397-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: May 01, 2019
• End date: September 30, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Molecular Genetics and Genetics of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Mazzafera
• Grantee: Laura Migliorini de Araujo
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 16/25498-0 - Phosphorus use efficiency in Eucalyptus and the physiological and genetic mechanisms involved, AP.TEM

Abstract

Phosphorous (P) is a macronutrient essential for plant growth and is present in different molecules that have major biological importance. P is a non-renewable element in nature, obtained from phosphorous rocks. Thus, P used as a fertilizer can lead to an extinction of its natural fonts. Most of P present in soils is insoluble and not available for plants uptake hence being necessary different mechanisms for its solubilization. Plants have developed genetic strategies for better P uptake however, these strategies are genotype and species dependent. In Brazil, the eucalyptus tree production has a major impact on the economy and studies have shown that this plant demands great amounts of P with variations among different species. Besides plant strategies developed to obtain non-available P from soils, microbial (bacteria and fungi) species present in the soil and the surface of the roots are capable of solubilize and provide P nutrient to plants and thus, enhancing plant growth under P limitation. This goal of this study is to assess the microbiome (bacteria and fungi) assembly in the root compartment and rhizosphere trough metagenomics and metatranscriptomics approaches of five species of Eucalyptus, each one presenting a characteristic P use efficiency, cultivated in soils under different availability of P. (AU)