Background: Tree crops are fundamental for human nutrition and warrant food security and stability of many farms including smallholder ones. Being present on a time scale of years, and having a persistent, deeper root system, the impacts of tree crops (e.g.,on nutrients mobilization, organic matter accumulation, beneficials, parasites...) largely differ from annual crops and thus cannot be considered as comparable. Moreover, due to the absence of annual rotation and lack of soil tillage, perennial tree crops also represent a stable food source not only for building up consortia of beneficial microbial communities but also for some root pathogens or parasites. We hypothesized that plant rhizosphere is strongly influenced by plant species/genotype which is able to select and recruit microbes that will then colonize the aboveground organs influencing plant nutrition, development and fruit quality and exerting a strong influence on soil functionality. In this context, we investigate whether two different fruit tree species: Mangifera indica, (mango) and Punica granatum (pomegranate), cultivated in a family-run farm at Chandrika lake, district of Ratnapura, Sri Lanka, influence differently the microbial recruitment from the surrounding soil. Both interrow bulk soil (10-20 cm) and rhizosphere soil (10-20 cm) were analyzed in order to understand the possible impact on plants nutrition, growth, pathogens tolerance, and healthy fruits productions. Results: Metabarcoding analyses associated with soil physico-chemical characterization and evaluation of microbial biomass, presence of pathogen and microbial phytohormone production, have provided an exhaustive reference database on the biodiversity of bacteria and fungi thriving in the farm soil, cultivated with Mango and Pomegranate, and their relative functions. Among them, microbial markers of healthy productive plant species soils will be identified. Conclusion: The results on the diversity and functional roles of this microbiota will be highly relevant for soil conservation and they will represent an added value for the commercial product and may provide farmers of this agriculture district with new tools (e.g. tailored microbial consortium) for agronomic innovation
MiRA FruiT-Microbial Resources for Agriculture, a FruiTful collaboration with a smallholder fruit trees farmer
Lumini E.;Ghignone S.;Voyron S.
2023
Abstract
Background: Tree crops are fundamental for human nutrition and warrant food security and stability of many farms including smallholder ones. Being present on a time scale of years, and having a persistent, deeper root system, the impacts of tree crops (e.g.,on nutrients mobilization, organic matter accumulation, beneficials, parasites...) largely differ from annual crops and thus cannot be considered as comparable. Moreover, due to the absence of annual rotation and lack of soil tillage, perennial tree crops also represent a stable food source not only for building up consortia of beneficial microbial communities but also for some root pathogens or parasites. We hypothesized that plant rhizosphere is strongly influenced by plant species/genotype which is able to select and recruit microbes that will then colonize the aboveground organs influencing plant nutrition, development and fruit quality and exerting a strong influence on soil functionality. In this context, we investigate whether two different fruit tree species: Mangifera indica, (mango) and Punica granatum (pomegranate), cultivated in a family-run farm at Chandrika lake, district of Ratnapura, Sri Lanka, influence differently the microbial recruitment from the surrounding soil. Both interrow bulk soil (10-20 cm) and rhizosphere soil (10-20 cm) were analyzed in order to understand the possible impact on plants nutrition, growth, pathogens tolerance, and healthy fruits productions. Results: Metabarcoding analyses associated with soil physico-chemical characterization and evaluation of microbial biomass, presence of pathogen and microbial phytohormone production, have provided an exhaustive reference database on the biodiversity of bacteria and fungi thriving in the farm soil, cultivated with Mango and Pomegranate, and their relative functions. Among them, microbial markers of healthy productive plant species soils will be identified. Conclusion: The results on the diversity and functional roles of this microbiota will be highly relevant for soil conservation and they will represent an added value for the commercial product and may provide farmers of this agriculture district with new tools (e.g. tailored microbial consortium) for agronomic innovationI documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
