Development of better biologicals as a more sustainable approach to Canadian agriculture

在接下来的几十年里，我们必须提高农业生产力，以应对不断增长的人口和燃料供应，并提高农业的可持续性。生物输入是实现这一目标的一种方式。百年历史的大豆接种剂行业就是一个典范：在大片土地上施用一种非常便宜的产品，从而减少氮肥的施用，减少温室气体排放，减少水道富营养化和地下水污染。这项提议的工作将导致对一组微生物提高加拿大东部主要作物的肥料利用效率和生产力的能力的广泛理解。我们将评估环境变量（土壤pH值、温度、水分有效性、土壤盐度、土壤有机质水平和土壤质地）对一种新型接种剂的效果的影响，该接种剂由根杆菌(5)和酵母组成。微生物竞争的影响也将被研究，并寻求潜在的新的促进生长的微生物。收集作物生理、基因表达和农学方面的数据。Synagri SENC已经对加拿大东部微生物群落的效用进行了初步研究，现在正在寻求与麦吉尔大学史密斯实验室研究小组合作，以详细说明和实施他们迄今为止的过程和理解。拟议的研究将确定加拿大东部微生物联盟的有效性，并将筛选当地的微生物群落，以寻找促进植物微生物组成员的新植物生长，这可能会为synagri带来新产品。目前微生物联盟的生长刺激能力，以及通过这项工作发现的任何新的生长促进菌株，将在玉米和马铃薯上进行评估，Synagri在这两个领域拥有丰富的专业知识和销售；这将使Synagri更好地了解其现有产品的适用性，以及新产品和进一步产品的基础，使其成为快速扩张的生物制品领域的领导者。这也将提高加拿大农业的可持续性和经济性，使加拿大在生物制品的农业应用方面进一步领先。

Over the next few decades we must increase both agricultural productivity, to deal with growing populationsand fuel supply, and agricultural sustainability. Biological inputs are one way to achieve this. The century-oldsoybean inoculant industry is the model for this: a very inexpensive product is applied on large land areas thatreduces the application of nitrogen fertilizer, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, waterway eutrophication andgroundwater contamination. The proposed work will lead to a broad understanding of the ability of a set ofmicrobes to improve fertilizer use efficiency and productivity of key crops in eastern Canada. We will evaluateand the effects of environmental variables (soil pH, temperature, water availability, soil salinity, soil organicmatter levels and soil texture) on the efficacy of a novel inoculant, comprised of a consortium of rhizobacteria(5) and a yeast. The effects of microbial competition will also be investigated and potential new growthpromoting microbes will be sought. Data will be collected on aspects of crop physiology, gene expression andagronomy. Synagri SENC has conducted preliminary research regarding the utility of the microbial consortiumin eastern Canada, and now seek to work with the Smith laboratory research team at McGill University in orderto elaborate and implement their processes and understandings to date. The research proposed will determinethe effectiveness of the microbial consortium in eastern Canada, and will also screen the local microflora fornew plant growth promoting members of the phytomicrobiome, potentially leading to new products forSynagri. The growth stimulation capacity of the current microbial consortium, and any novel growthpromoting strains discovered through this work, will be evaluated on corn and potato, for which Synagri hassubstantial expertise and sales; this will provide Synagri with a better understanding of the applicability of theircurrent product, and with new products and the foundations for even further products, establishing it as a leaderin the rapidly expanding biologicals sector. This will also enhance the sustainability and economics ofCanadian agricultural, giving Canada further leadership in the agricultural application of biologicals.