Investigation of soil fungal communities in paddy soils - application of novol molecular techniques

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There is a great need in microbiology and soil science to develop novel methods for a better understanding of the ecology and suit behaviour of soil fungi pathogens and those involved in decomposition processes. In addition, our knowledge of plant beneficial fungal organisms is limited, one reason being that detection of fungi involved in such processes is often difficult due to the reluctance of many such fungi to grow on agar plates. In recent years direct nucleic acid extraction approaches have become more widely applied during investigations of soil fungal ecology and are beginning to provide significant advances in understanding the genetic diversity of soil fungal communities. This project addresses the implementation of the modern molecular techniques DGGE and FISH in combination with micropedological methods to investigate fungal communities in rice paddy soils. Paddy soilsPaketantrag `Boden und Umweltforschung¿ TP3: Microbial dynamics in paddy soils related to soil structure dynamics using 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes (FISH) will serve as a model system, since there is a lack of information about their fungi under drought or post-harvest fallow conditions. Our project will address development of paddy soil fungal communities linked to the availability of organic matter such as rice straw. Since local and global air quality concerns have resulted in the reduction or outright banning of straw burning, the search for alternatives has become essential, especially for our partners in China. They are members of the Sino-German Research Group On Soil Science and the Soil Environment and have already had considerable experience in investigating microbial communities in Chinese paddy soils. One long-term objective is to identify optimal rice straw management practices based on a better understanding of the interaction of bacteria and fungi during rice straw decomposition in paddy soils. This might be crucial in reducing methane emissions from paddy soils, while also making a valuable contribution to the implementation of sustainable agricultural practices in East Asia.