Auburn University

Awards Issued Prior to January 20, 2025, Were Funded Under Previous Administrations and May Not Reflect the Priorities and Policies of the Current Administration. Tall Fescue (lolium Arundinaceum) and Bermudagrass (cynodon Dactylon) Provide Feed for Millions of Cattle Throughout the Southeast. to Maintain Productivity and Quality, Forages Require Adequate N Fertility; However, N Fertility Represents the Largest Cost of Production. Preliminary Data Indicate That Plant Growth-promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) May Hold Promise as a Biostimulant Alternative to Synthetic N Fertilizer. Use of PGPR in Forage Systems Has the Potential to Increase Economic and Environmental Sustainability of Thousands of Forage and Livestock Producers Throughout the Southeast, Thus Aligning With the Plant Health and Production and Plant Products Priority Area. the Goal of the Project Is to Determine the Efficacy of PGPR as a Biostimulant for Tall Fescue and Bermudagrass Forage Systems in the Southeast. the Team Will Sequence the Genome of One PGPR Strain and Use This Information for Mass Production of PGPR Application Material. Effects of PGPR on Tall Fescue and Bermudagrass Drought Tolerance Will Be Assessed Under the Greenhouse. Additionally, a Multi-state Field Study Will Be Used to Determine the Usefulness of PGPR as a Biostimulant for Improving Forage Production and Quality. Further Analysis Will Be Conducted to Determine the Economic Impact of PGPR Use on Forage Production in the Southeast. Our Results Will Be Disseminated Through Workshops, Social Media, and Other Outreach and Extension Activities. Multiple Graduate Students and a Post-doctoral Fellow Will Be Trained Under a Multidisciplinary Approach Including Agronomy, Entomology, Livestock Production, Agricultural Economics, and Extension.