Functioning of the maize rhizosphere microbiota in aboveground insect resistance

• Research unit: COST
• Project number: C15.0111

Key words (English)

maize; rhizosphere microbiota; insect resistance; root exudation; benzoxazinoids; plant–soil feedbacks

Research programs (English)

COST-Action FA1405 - Using three-way interactions between plants, microbes and arthropods to enhance crop protection and production

Short description (English)

Plants manipulate the rhizosphere (i.e., the soil that surrounds their roots) with the secretion of root exudates. Resulting changes in soil properties can influence the performance of a next generation of plants and such effects are referred to as plant–soil feedbacks. Today, the functions of whole plant-associated microbial communities are not well understood and also the involvement plant root exudation in the context of multi-partite feedbacks remains largely unexplored. In this research project we aim to understand the role of benzoxazinoids (BXs) exudation on the maize rhizosphere microbiota and the resultant feedback effects on plant insect resistance: (i) we will clarify the involvement of rhizosphere and plant root microbial communities in the BXsdependent feedbacks, (ii) we will explore if BX-dependent feedbacks also occur also in different soil types and if they also affect pathogen resistance and, (iii) we will investigate whether BXs function as ‘communication compound’ between the host plant and the rhizosphere microbiota. This project will contribute to the understanding how plants influence through the secretion of root exudates their associated bacterial microbiota, which in turn affects host plant performance the by plant-soil feedbacks. This research might have important practical implications because prediction and manipulation of multi-partite plant-microbiota-insect interactions can be relevant to improve the sustainability of agriculture.

Further information (English)

Full name of research-institution/enterprise: Agroscope Institut für Nachhaltigkeitswissenschaften Pflanzen-Boden-Interaktionen

Partners and International Organizations (English)

BE; BA; HR; CY; CZ; DK; FI; FR; DE; EL; IE; IL; IT; LV; LU; NL; NO; PL; PT; RS; SK; SI; ES; SE; UK

Abstract (English)

See short description

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: COST-DB of the State Secretariat for Education and Research Hallwylstrasse 4 CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland Tel. [phone] Swiss Project-Number: C15.0111