Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BarleyMicroBreed (Strategies for breeding climate change resilient barley, genetically equipped to optimized root-microbiome interactions)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2022-11-01 al 2024-04-30
In BarleyMicroBreed we build on the paradigm that abiotic stress resilience can be significantly improved by optimizing interactions between plant roots and the existing soil microbiota. Despite widespread claims that inoculation of crop species with beneficial microorganisms enhances crop productivity and stress resilience, success is limited or absent under field conditions. We therefore propose to advance our mechanistic understanding of the bidirectional interactions between the crop plant genome and root phenotypic traits, and the composition and functioning of root-associated microbiota. Based on this, we will identify novel breeding strategies for crops tailored to harness the benefits of the indigenous soil microbial diversity and which will preserve or even increase soil biodiversity.
The overall objective of BarleyMicroBreed is thus to establish links between barley genome components and root microbiomes that facilitate root traits pivotal for drought stress resilience and belowground carbon restitution. Based on this, we will identify strategies for breeding crops optimized to harness stress resilience from soil biodiversity, thereby reducing the need for external inputs.
Measurable operational objectives:
● To construct a publicly available database with in-depth information on drought tolerance and root phenotypic traits including microbiome information based on field screening at different geographical locations of 600 barley varieties encompassing a wide genetic diversity.
● To develop optimized root phenotyping tools, including automated core break imaging systems, software development for automated “gap filling” in rhizobox phenotyping, and models to infer seedling to mature root system architecture.
● To identify correlations between specific barley genome components, recruitment of specific root microbiota, root phenotypic traits- and drought resilience.
● To disclose causal mechanistic relationships between barley genome markers, microbiome recruitment and root phenotypic traits under drought stress.
● To generate novel barley breeding strategies for microbiome-assisted drought tolerance.
The overall objective of BarleyMicroBreed is thus to establish links between barley genome components and root microbiomes that facilitate root traits pivotal for drought stress resilience and belowground carbon restitution. Based on this, we will identify strategies for breeding crops optimized to harness stress resilience from soil biodiversity, thereby reducing the need for external inputs.
Measurable operational objectives:
● To construct a publicly available database with in-depth information on drought tolerance and root phenotypic traits including microbiome information based on field screening at different geographical locations of 600 barley varieties encompassing a wide genetic diversity.
● To develop optimized root phenotyping tools, including automated core break imaging systems, software development for automated “gap filling” in rhizobox phenotyping, and models to infer seedling to mature root system architecture.
● To identify correlations between specific barley genome components, recruitment of specific root microbiota, root phenotypic traits- and drought resilience.
● To disclose causal mechanistic relationships between barley genome markers, microbiome recruitment and root phenotypic traits under drought stress.
● To generate novel barley breeding strategies for microbiome-assisted drought tolerance.
The project is divided into correlation, causation and implementation phases. At Month 18 we are mainly in the correlation phase consisting of field trials including 600 barley lines having highly different genotypes, grown under different drought regimes in Austria, Morocco and Lebanon. Data has been collected in the growing season 2023 on: i) below- and aboveground phenotypic responses such as biomass, yield, and root architecture in the individual plots; ii) samples for microbial characterization have been taken from each barley plot consisting each of 5 barley roots, in total 10,800 samples that are currently being DNA sequenced for microbial profiling; iii) 50 selected barley lines are being fully genome-sequenced while all 600 barley lines have been genotyped by SNP analysis. This massive amount of data will be analysed with the aim to identify genomic regions that are important for microbiome assembly and also for drought resilience in barley.
In parallel, root phenotyping tools are being developed that will enable monitoring of seedling to maturity root architecture. BOKU has developed a novel root imaging tool which enables continuous imaging of root growth under controlled conditions to evaluate stress adaptation plasticity of different barley varieties during the sensitive seedling establishment phase. PSI has developed an efficient software toolset that enables efficient root image analysis. Furthermore, PSI has set up a phenotyping pipeline to monitor plants under drought conditions to obtain images from germination to establishment of the root system. This optimized automated image analysis toolset will allow tracking of root stress adaptation in high spatial resolution.
In parallel, root phenotyping tools are being developed that will enable monitoring of seedling to maturity root architecture. BOKU has developed a novel root imaging tool which enables continuous imaging of root growth under controlled conditions to evaluate stress adaptation plasticity of different barley varieties during the sensitive seedling establishment phase. PSI has developed an efficient software toolset that enables efficient root image analysis. Furthermore, PSI has set up a phenotyping pipeline to monitor plants under drought conditions to obtain images from germination to establishment of the root system. This optimized automated image analysis toolset will allow tracking of root stress adaptation in high spatial resolution.
At this early stage of the project, we are still working towards the first major integrated data synthesis. We foresee that this synthesis will disclose associations between barley genetics, root microbiome assemblies and barley phenotypic traits and plasticity across contrasting environments. Subsequent analyses will validate which specific genetic regions regulate interactions with soil microbiota that promote root traits for drought resilience. This specific and detailed information will be directly applicable for the breeding of barley lines optimally fit to harness drought-stress alleviation from indigenous soil microbiota.