Rhizosphere microbiome transplantation and water stress legacy for drought resistance induction in common bean

• Grant number: 24/21801-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: April 01, 2025
• End date: March 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Soil Science
• Principal Investigator: Lucas William Mendes
• Grantee: Caroline Sayuri Nishisaka
• Host Institution: Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 19/16043-7 - Rhizosphere microbiome of the drought tolerant common bean, AP.PFPMCG.JP

Abstract

Drought is considered one of the major problems in agricultural production in the world, since the main world's agricultural regions are affected by water stress, with a negative impact on the economy and society. Genetic breeding of crops for drought tolerance has received much attention in recent years and new research has provided information on the ability of specific soil microorganisms to influence the water stress tolerance in plants. In this context, we understand that verifying whether the microbiota of drought-resistant plants can induce resistance in susceptible cultivars is extremely important for the sustainable future of agriculture in the face of climate change. The justification for this work is based on the need to study and develop strategies using the microbiome of drought-resistant plants as promoters of resistance in susceptible plants. Thus, our hypothesis is that the rhizosphere microbiome associated with the drought-resistant common bean genotype (SEA5) may confer greater drought tolerance in bean cultivars that are typically more susceptible to these adverse conditions. To validate our hypothesis, we will implement a soil transplant strategy, in which the enriched microbiome of a drought-tolerant cultivar will be transferred to susceptible cultivars to assess the potential increase in drought tolerance. To enrich the soil microbiome, we will use a dry-tolerant bean cultivar, which will be grown for three consecutive generations until it reaches the flowering stage. In plants, gas exchange, oxidative stress, photosynthetic pigments, and nutritional and productive characteristics will be evaluated. The rhizosphere and soil microbiome will be characterized by amplicon sequencing from Bacteria and Archaea (16S rRNA) and fungi (ITS), and metagenomic sequencing. This project is linked to the JP FAPESP Project 2019/16043-7 "Rhizosphere microbiome of the drought tolerant common bean" and its development will integrate different laboratories of CENA-USP, involving microbiology, molecular biology, physiology, and plant nutrition. With this project, we hope to obtain data and information that will increase our knowledge about the role of the rhizosphere microbiome in mitigating the effects of drought in plants and providing subsidies for more sustainable use of the ecosystem.