Location: Wheat Health, Genetics, and Quality Research
Project Number: 2090-22000-019-015-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Oct 1, 2023
End Date: Jul 31, 2026
Objective:
Objective 1: Identify metagenome features associated with crop production under
dryland conditions.
Objective 2: Characterize how root exudates mediate rhizosphere plant-microbe
interactions under water stress.
Objective 3: Characterize the capacity of the dryland microbiome to control
soilborne diseases and alleviate plant water stress.
Approach:
Objective 1. Compare rhizosphere metagenomes from neighboring irrigated
and dryland fields to characterize water stress and host effects on the rhizobiome gene content, and specifically focus on dryland/irrigated wheat plots located in Lind, Washington and dryland/irrigated alfalfa plots at Ritzville, Washington.
Objective 2. Compare root exudates of well-watered and water-stressed
plants and correlate changes in the exudation patterns with shifts in the
rhizosphere metagenome and metatranscriptome.
Objective 3. Perform a greenhouse experiment to expose wheat and alfalfa to
two stressors, disease and drought, and assess the capacity of the dryland-adapted rhizobiome to protect crops from water stress and soilborne pathogens.
