Donald Danforth Plant Science Center

Awards Issued Prior to January 20, 2025, Were Funded Under Previous Administrations and May Not Reflect the Priorities and Policies of the Current Administration. Plants Are Part of a Community That Includes Fungi, Oomycetes, Bacteria, Viruses and Other Complex Microbiota. Although the Number of Microbial Cells on a Plant or Animal Often Outnumbers the HOST'S Own Cell Count by Many-fold, Microbes Are Generally Not Visible to the Naked Eye. It Has Been Estimated That a Single Gram of Soil May Contain 10 Billion Bacterial Cells and Plant Roots Can Harbor Thousands of Bacterial Species. While Some Microbial Interactions Are Detrimental to Plant Health, Symbiotic Relationships With Bacteria or Fungi Supply Mineral Elements to Plants and Can Also Provide Tolerance to Various Abiotic and Biotic Stresses. Capitalizing on the Benefits of a Healthy Microbiome Can Be Traced Back Several Millennia and Currently, Hundreds of Agricultural Products Are Being Sold as 'BENEFICIALS'. However, These Products Show Inconsistent Performance in the Field. Nonetheless, Unexplored Microbes Represent One of the Greatest Untapped Opportunities in Plant Biology. Plant Microbiome Research Has the Potential to Positively Impact Agricultural Productivity That Will Feed Future Generations While Mitigating Global Climate Change, Restoring Natural Ecosystems, and Reducing Energy Intensive Fertilizer Production. Our Ability to Manipulate These Complex Ecosystems for the Benefit of the Plant and Planet Is in Its Infancy.agricultural Productivity Depends on Intensive Farming and Management Practices Including Fertilizers. U.s. Farmers Rely on This Technology to Meet Yield Demands. This Proposal Will Partially Offset Fertilizer Demands Through Plant-microbe Based Nutrient Acquisition. Specifically, This Research Will Yield New Strategies to Develop Microbial Products That Show Robust Performance in the Field. the Key to Success Will Be Discovering the Fundamental Rules That Govern Colonization and Persistence (c&p) of Beneficial Microbes With Their Plant Hosts. If We Are Able to Develop Strategies to Increase the C&p of Microbial Based Products, This Will Help Farmers Achieve High Yields With Less External Inputs While Also Protecting Their Soil Health and the Environment. the Long-term Outcome of This Research Will Be to Optimally Redesign Production Agriculture Through the Lens of the 'COMMUNITY of PLAYERS' That Can Ensure a Sustainable Planet.