Quantification and morphological characterization of the phyllosphere microbiome of eucalyptus during interaction with Austropuccinia psidii

• Grant number: 25/09723-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Thaís Regina Boufleur
• Grantee: Sarah Lopes Cavalheiro
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 24/05484-0 - Suppressive phyllosphere in eucalyptus: sustainable innnovation for the management of myrtle rust, AP.R

Abstract

Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.), a member of the Myrtaceae family, is the most widely planted species for the production of wood, pulp, and related products. Austropuccinia psidii, the causal agent of myrtle rust, poses a constant threat to eucalyptus production and to the biodiversity of native forests, ranking among the ten most feared fungi in the world. While in Brazil, A. psidii populations are structured according to the host, in the rest of the world there is a predominance of a pandemic population pathogenic to hundreds of hosts.Genetic resistance and chemical control are the most commonly used strategies for disease management in commercial cultivation. However, the emergence of new public policies aimed at sustainability in agroecosystems has redirected efforts toward new strategies for plant disease management. One of the most promising long-term tools lies in the plant microbiome.In the search for microbiomes with potential for biocontrol, the co-evolution between host and microorganisms is a great ally, and can lead to the development of disease-suppressive environments due to microbial communities present in the soil or phyllosphere. Thus, this project aims to complement the regular research project 2025/05484-0 by quantifying and characterizing the phyllosphere microbiota of E. grandis, in order to identify microorganisms potentially associated with the eucalyptus phyllosphere core microbiome under selective pressure from the rust-causing pathogen A. psidii.The development of a suppressive phyllosphere and the analysis of modulated microbial communities are fundamental for exploring innovative and sustainable approaches to controlling myrtle rust in eucalyptus and other species. (AU)