Developing microbiome-based approaches to the discovery and release of microbial weed biocontrol agents

Authors: Fulcher, Michael

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/29/2024
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Invasive weeds associate with diverse microbes that may influence the success of plant pathogenic biocontrol agents. Weed biocontrol programs can be improved through additional microbiome research, and three ongoing projects highlight new opportunities for innovation in agent discovery and release. (1) The establishment and efficacy of the foreign fungal pathogen Ramularia crupinae, recently released for control of common crupina, is being modeled with a combination of environmental and microbiome data. Newly introduced biocontrol agents must integrate into resident microbial communities, and empirical models using microbiome features could reveal barriers to agent success. (2) Endophytic microbes from wavyleaf basketgrass are being evaluated for biocontrol potential based on genetic similarity to taxa identified as core members of the basketgrass microbiome. Focusing on conserved weed-microbe associations may lead to the identification of agents that perform consistently across host and environmental variation. (3) The genomes of microbes collected from garlic mustard are being screened for plant-antagonistic potential to determine whether endophytic communities found in healthy weeds should be considered as a source of biocontrol agents. Plant-associated microbes exist on a spectrum ranging from mutualist to parasite, and their interaction outcomes are highly context dependent, so this project aims to find apparently non-pathogenic microbes that might be manipulated into antagonizing their host. A lack of information about weed microbiomes in both invaded and native ranges impedes the development of microbiome-enhanced biocontrol approaches, and there is a need to record baseline microbiome measurements during surveys for and releases of microbial biocontrol agents.