Synergistic activity of silica nanoparticles and bacterial inoculants in the rhizospheric system of soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill)

• Grant number: 21/11978-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: April 01, 2023
• End date: September 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Maria Carolina Quecine Verdi
• Grantee: Mariana Marrafon Lopes da Silva
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

There is a great demand for increased agricultural productivity, in order to ensure food security for the coming years. The use of plant growth-promoting bacteria and the maintenance of a healthy microbiome in the rhizosphere, are key points in the development of biological solutions. The benefits resulting from the inoculation of soybean with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia are well established. Recently, it is the use of plant growth-promoting bacteria and nanoparticles. The use of nanoparticles provides the reduction of inputs, such as fertilizers and pesticides. In this sense, addition of nanosílica to microbial inoculants of plant growth- promoting bacteria has shown positive results. However, there is still little information about the interaction of these technologies, especially regarding how silica nanoparticles affect the role of microbial inoculants and thenative microbiota of the rhizosphere. Thus, the present work proposes to analyze the synergistic role of the silica nanoparticle when applied in association with microbial inoculants, as well as the effect of this strategy on the native microbial community, transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic of soybean roots. Based on multi-omics approaches; the present study will generate information necessary to measure the impact of nanosilica addition on the beneficial effect of microbial inoculants such as Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens. The correlation of obtained data using the biology system view will provide robust support for the safe use of more sustainable innovative technologies together, in addition to enabling the development of biotechnological products.