Plant growth promotion through bacterial applications

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It has been estimated that the world will need to produce >50% more food to feed 9 billion people by the year 2050. If we consider that climate change threatens to reduce crop yields by 25%, the need for improved crop performance has never been greater. The proposed Engage grant will foster collaborative research undertaken by my research group at the University of Manitoba and Stoller Enterprises Ltd (Regina, Saskatchewan). Stoller has a number of products currently on the market that increase crop yield. We have discovered a bacterium (Pseudomonas chlororaphis PA23) that when applied to plants, results in early seedling emergence and increased plant size. Several questions will be addressed in the current proposal including how to best apply the bacteria to the plants. Seed dip, root dip, and drench irrigation will be tested to see how each affects the ability of this bacterium to promote growth. We will determine whether the bacterial cells themselves or specific products they release cause the plant growth promotion effect. Finally, we will investigate how best to store the bacteria so that maximal benefits can be achieved. Our plant-growth promoting bacterium will nicely complement Stoller's existing array of crop-enhancing products, providing economic benefit to the company. Furthermore, soil additives make it possible to dramatically improve crop yields, not only in Canada but across the globe. Boosting plant productivity and vigor through plant-growth promoting bacteria avoids the environmental damage associated with excess chemical run off. Our approach of using beneficial bacteria in place of chemical fertilizers will provide huge benefits to the Canadian agricultural sector and society as a whole.