EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE AND INOCULATION OF NITROGEN FIXING BACTERIA ON THE ANTIOXIDANT METABOLISM OF FORAGE GRASSES

• Grant number: 24/18286-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy
• Principal Investigator: Priscila Lupino Gratão
• Grantee: Eduarda Gonçalves Reis
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/15021-2 - Physiological and productive performance of forages Brachiaria brizantha cv Marandu and the hybrid Brachiaria Mavuno inoculated with Azospirillum brasilense and subjected to warming in a future climate simulation experiment, AP.PFPMCG.R

Abstract

Rising global temperatures can directly influence agriculture and tropical pasture production, highlighting the negative effect of this warming on plant growth and productivity. C4 grasses, such as Brachiaria, are more efficient at high temperatures, but can suffer oxidative stress when exposed to high temperatures. To mitigate these effects, research proposes the use of nitrogen-fixing bacteria, such as Azospirillum brasilense, which can improve the physiological performance of plants, increasing heat resistance and productivity. Inoculating plants with these bacteria can also reduce the need for nitrogen fertilizers, promoting more sustainable agriculture aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Therefore, the general objective of this study is to understand the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant responses of the forage grasses Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu and the hybrid Brachiaria brizantha x Brachiaria ruziziensis under the effects of warming (+2°C), in a future climate simulation using the T-FACE (Controlled Free-Air Temperature Enhancement) system and inoculation with two strains of nitrogen-fixing bacteria: Azospirrillum brasilense: CNPSo 2083 and CNPSo 2084, under field conditions. This study proposal can demonstrate the importance of performing experimental manipulations to elucidate plant responses to climate change in tropical ecosystems, in order to identify key variables that influence the physiological and biochemical responses of tropical crops to climate change and develop new management practices.