Root microbiomes as controls of P use efficiency in woody crops
| Title of the project | Root microbiomes as controls of P use efficiency in woody crops |
| Primary and secondary scientific disciplines | biology, chemistry |
| Description of the project | Due to the dramatic human population growth, 30% of the world’s forests were lost during the past 5 000 years. Reforestation programmes exist in many countries to compensate for this loss. However, most of the new plantations are single-species monocultures, usually of fast-growing cultivars, what significantly decrease biodiversity and forest functioning. Since the root microbiome of woody plants is the key factor affecting plant health and productivity, its diversity and abundance are crucial. Phosphorus (P), as an essential macronutrient, is a limited resource with rising global need, but mainly with low plant-availability in the soil caused by fixation.
Characteristics and main objectives of the research project: · Explore the significance and mechanistic basis of microbial regulation of the P use efficiency in roots of woody crops · Evaluate the impact of host plant genotype identity and diversity within the site on the root microbiome to indicate favorable production systems for a high P use efficiency and biomass production. The project is conducted in cooperation with: University of Rostock, Germany – Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Principal supervisor: Prof. dr hab. Katarzyna Hrynkiewicz |