About This Project

Beneficial bacteria can boost crop growth and yield, reducing the need for chemical spraying. However, seed coatings with pesticides and insecticides inhibit bacterial growth and nullify their benefits. To counter this, we propose enhancing bacteria's natural resistance to these chemicals through accelerated directed evolution. This method can increase crop yield while minimizing chemical sprays, posing no environmental risks as it relies on natural soil bacteria.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria (PGPB), such as Rhizobium and Pseudomonas, play a significant role in agriculture by enhancing crop growth, biomass, and stress resistance. These bacteria promote plant growth through various mechanisms, including the production of phytohormones, phosphorus solubilization, nitrogen fixation, and biocontrol of pathogens. Effective inoculants must withstand stress conditions, including exposure to reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and toxic compounds like herbicides and pesticides. Enhancing bacterial resistance through strategies such as the production of protective pigments and biofilms is crucial. Sustainable agriculture depends on resilient PGPB to reduce the use of fertilizers and chemicals, ultimately promoting soil conservation and crop productivity. Despite the challenges posed by herbicides and fungicides, developing resistant bacterial inoculants offers a promising solution for improving crop yield and maintaining soil health.

What is the significance of this project?

Every day, tons of chemicals are added to our soil for pest and weed control, as well as plant fertilization. While good practices and emerging technologies can reduce their use, fully replacing chemical seed treatments will take time. These treatments negatively impact beneficial seed bacteria. Our goal is to develop multi-chemical-resistant beneficial bacteria for use as inoculants in seeds treated with these chemicals. Genomic and transcriptomic data from tested evolved strains will help us understand resistance mechanisms and adapt various beneficial bacteria to harsh conditions. Ensuring bacterial resistance will improve inoculants' effectiveness, reduce the need for fertilizers and pesticides, and boost plant growth through natural hormone production. Using these inoculants will also provide significant economic savings to producers, being inexpensive to produce and reducing the need for chemical spraying, leading to less fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions.

What are the goals of the project?

Our primary goal is to develop plant-promoting bacteria that can withstand chemicals commonly used for seed coating. Importantly, we focus on achieving this naturally rather than through genetic modification. By accelerating their natural evolution, we aim to create highly beneficial bacteria in months instead of years. After this initial phase, we'll compare the strains before and after evolution to ensure they retain or even enhance their benefits for plants. Subsequently, we'll conduct in-depth studies to understand the changes that made them more resilient. This comparative analysis will provide insights for developing new beneficial bacterial strains tailored to various environments. Additionally, understanding these mechanisms might reveal how pathogenic bacteria develop chemical resistance, offering strategies to combat them (know your enemy better than yourself).