Modulation of the eucalyptus phyllosphere for suppression of myrtaceae rust

• Grant number: 24/05371-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2024
• End date: May 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Thaís Regina Boufleur
• Grantee: Taís Karoline Correia da Silva
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.) belongs to the Myrtaceae family and is the most widely planted species for wood, pulp and derivative production. Over the past 50 years, Austropuccinia psidii, the causal agent of myrtle rust, has posed a constant threat to eucalyptus production and the biodiversity of native forests, ranking among the top ten most feared fungi globally. While in Brazil A. psidii populations are structured by the host, the rest of the world experiences a predominance of a pandemic population pathogenic to hundreds of species within the Myrtaceae family. The most commonly used control strategies in commercial cultivation of eucalyptus are genetic resistance and chemical control. However, new public policies focused on agroecosystem sustainability have redirected the search for plant disease management strategies. Within these, one of the most promising tools in the long term is the plant microbiome. There still is a considerable gap between microbiome characterization and translating knowledge into field-applicable strategies. The strategy begins with the exploration of microbial communities with the potential to suppress the progression of the disease. Hence, host-microorganism co-evolution is a significant ally, leading to the emergence of disease-suppressive environments due to microbial communities present either in the soil or the phyllosphere. Thus, this project aims to modulate the eucalyptus phyllosphere using field microbial communities, under selection pressure from distinct A. psidii isolates, to reduce rust severity. The present proposal is part of a larger research project aimed at developing the suppressive filosphere and analyzing modulated microbial communities in search of innovative and sustainable approaches to control myrtle rust in eucalyptus and other species.