Prospecting crop root mycobiomes for yield-enhancing bioproducts

在单一作物基因型的田间，经常观察到产量的巨大变化。这种变化往往不能与土壤条件或养分水平联系起来，而是与土壤微生物群落的组成或活动有关。该项目将产生关于产量差异很大的作物根系真菌群落的新数据，确定那些与低产量（作为病原体和植物拮抗剂的真菌物种）或高产（直接或间接通过控制植物病原体或拮抗剂促进植物生长的物种）相关的真菌物种。该项目还将利用这些数据开发用于作物农业大规模农业应用的真菌肥料和真菌保护产品，使其从构想阶段进入西安大略大学温室设施的试点测试阶段。此次合作将为学术合作伙伴带来重大利益，使PI能够继续建立真菌群落宏基因组分析方面的专业知识；此外，两名研究生，两名技术人员和一名博士后研究员将在工作的纯科学和应用科学方面接受宝贵的培训，并有极好的机会与行业合作伙伴合作，拓宽他们的职业发展机会。我们的行业合作伙伴A&L Biologicals将从真菌学专业知识、分子和多变量分析中获益，从而开发出具有潜在市场价值的产品。土壤肥力或病原体的分子测试，以及提高作物产量的生物肥料，都是A&L生物制剂的关键产品领域。该项目是在减少环境足迹的同时可持续提高作物产量的一步。

Large variation in yield within fields of a single crop genotype is observed frequently. This variation often cannot be linked to soil conditions or nutrient levels but is instead related to the composition or activity of the soil microbial communities. This project will yield novel data on the root mycobiomes of crop plants differing substantially in yield, identifying those consistently associated with low yield (fungal species that are pathogens and plant antagonists) or high yield (species that promote plant growth directly, or indirectly through control of plant pathogens or antagonists). This project will also leverage these data to develop mycofertilizer and mycoprotective products for broad-scale agricultural application in crop agriculture, taking them from the idea stage to pilot testing in greenhouse facilities at the University of Western Ontario. This collaboration will accrue significant benefits to the academic partner, allowing the PI to continue to build expertise in metagenomic analyses of fungal communities; in addition, two graduate students, two technical staff and one postdoctoral researcher will receive valuable training in the pure and applied scientific aspects of the work, with excellent opportunities to work with the industry partner to broaden their career opportunities. Our industry partner, A&L Biologicals, will benefit through the mycological expertise, molecular and multivariate analyses not otherwise available to them, leading to the development of potentially marketable product(s). Molecular tests for soil fertility or pathogens, and biofertilizers to improve crop yields, are among the key product areas of A&L Biologicals. This project represents one step towards sustainable enhancement of crop yields with a reduced environmental footprint.