Breeding cereals to promote beneficial microbial associations (MALONE_J17ICASE1)

随着减少农业投入的压力增加，更有效地利用养分已成为一个重要的育种目标。许多植物，包括谷物，如大麦，与土壤微生物形成有益的关系，有助于养分同化和防止病原体的攻击。因此，了解有助于高效定植的植物和微生物遗传性状，对于生产改良的低投入谷物和新型作物处理具有巨大的潜力。这个学生将研究有益的土壤细菌荧光假单胞菌是如何在大麦根部定植的，以及这是如何影响抗病性和植物生长的。近红外和微麦芽分析将与我们的工业CASE合作伙伴一起进行；新遗产大麦，研究微生物定殖对谷物品质和风味的影响。这项研究的最终目的将是选择和培育大麦品种，鼓励有益的微生物协会。

As pressure increases to reduce agricultural inputs, more efficient nutrient use has become an important breeding objective. Many plants including cereals such as barley form beneficial associations with soil microbes, which contribute to nutrient assimilation and protect against pathogen attack. Understanding the plant and microbial genetic traits that contribute to efficient colonisation thus has huge potential for the production of improved, low-input cereals and novel crop treatments. This studentship will investigate how strains of the beneficial soil bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens colonise barley roots, and how this affects disease resistance and plant growth. Near-infrared and micromalting analysis will be performed with our industrial CASE partner; New Heritage Barley, to examine the effect of microbial colonisation on grain quality and flavour. The ultimate aim of this research will be to select and breed barley varieties that encourage beneficial microbial associations.