SUPREME : developping tools for SUstainable food PRoduction in mEditerranean area using MicrobEs

SUPREME’s goal is to support the safe and efficient use of microbial inocula to assist crops growth. We aim at scaling up the use of autochthonous microbes from greenhouse experiments to field scale pilot plants. Different soils and crops meaningful for the regional economies (tomatoes, sunflowers, onions, legumes such as faba beans and vetch, barely, wheat or high biomass leading grasses like sorghum, health crops and cereals as konjac, orchidaceae, amaranth and quinoa) will be considered in the test sites. Test sites are distributed over 6 different areas of the Mediterranean (figure 1). Leading edge characterization and monitoring techniques will be set up to measure: i) soil biodiversity before and after inoculation, ii) crop growth, iii) water and fertilizer consumption, iv) and mineral consumption and formation through biosphere-geosphere interactions allowing to long term assessment of soil mineral.

Bacteria and fungi can effectively influence plant physiology, growth, defence mechanisms and nutrient uptake (1-5). Mycorrhizal fungi associated with plant roots increase the absorption of nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, and distribution of water between different plants is achieved through the hyphal networks. As a result, growth of crops and trees is enhanced or even only possible as in the case of mycoheterotrophy in ectomycorrhizas. Inocula of PGP bacteria can be used to improve soil functions and the resistance of plants to drought periods contributing to reduce irrigation needs. Especially on arid and bare soils, bacterial inoculants can positively influence biogeochemical element cycles and formation of soil. Thus, they can help to reduce water, N and P requirements by augmenting the soil functions, and to reduce the effect of climate change on crop production. In this work, the first results of the project will be shown.

 

 

1                 Gianinazzi-Pearson and Gianinazzi (1983)-Plant Soil, 71, 211–215

2                  Smith and Read (1997)- Academic Press

3                  Gianinazzi et al. (2002) Basel. Switzerland: BirkhäuserVerlag

4                  Van der Heijden et al. (2008) Ecol. Let., 11, 296–310

5                  Peterson et al. (1984 )Biotech. Adv., 2, 101-12