Phylloplane microbiota of wild and commercial varieties of tomatoes and their contribution to the control of phytopathogens and herbivorous pests

• Grant number: 24/22208-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: April 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Fernando Luis Cônsoli
• Grantee: Ana Carolina Lopes da Silva
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/10573-4 - Center for Carbon Research in Tropical Agriculture (CCARBON), AP.CEPID

Abstract

Wild species of Solanum carry type IV glandular trichomes on their leaf surface that produce exsudates rich in acylsugars. Acylsugars have antibiotic activity against microbes and herbivores, acting as key componentes in the natural defense response of plants to pests and diseases. Nevertheless, the domestication of tomato plants targeted to increase plant productivity selected against the natural defense mechanisms of tomato plants. The loss of such trichomes and of their exsudates in commercial cultivars altered the leaf metabolome and consequently the leaf interactions with the beneficial microorganisms associated with the phylloplane. Such microorganisms provide direct and indirect contributions to plant defense against pests and diseases. In this project we will investigate the effects of the selection process for the development of commercial cultivars of tomatoes in the diversity and abundance of the phylloplane microbiota as a consequence of changes in the type and number of leaf trichomes and leaf metabolome. We will also evaluate if the selection process altered the functional contribution of the leaf microbiota to contribute to pest and disease control. The identification of the functional members of the phylloplane microbiota will allow the development of plants resilient to plant pathogens and insect pests, reducing the need for application of organic synthetic compounds for pest management, which will reduce the off-target side-effects. Moreover, the reduction in applications of synthetic compounds will lower the use non-renewable energy sources and the carbon emissions in agricultural systems.