Objective
The entire project aims at an integrated approach resulting in the development of microbial inoculants for commercial applications. This integrated approach will bring together several biological and technological disciplines to study the main factors that are important for the practical application of rhizobacteria as inoculants for seed and plant establishment on a range of crops: soil microbiology and ecology; biotechnology; molecular biology; industrial microbiology and seed technology.
Objectives of the project are as follows:
to improve seed germination and plant growth by seed or young plant treatments with rhizobacteria;
to develop novel technology for crop protection based on biocontrol agents, thus avoiding problems associated with the use of agrochemicals.
Emergence, plant growth and plant/pathogen test systems have been developed to evaluate beneficial effects of bacteria using different application methods. To study germination enhancement and growth promotion emphasis has been on tomato and sweet pepper. The same test system may be used for other crops (eg Pelargonium, Impatiens). In the search for biological control systems for plant diseases, emphasis has been on soil borne diseases affecting radish. The following four test systems were developed:
germination/growth enhancement of tomato (Lycopersicon lycopersicum);
germination/growth enhancement of sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum);
damping off of radish (Raphanus sativus);
fusarium wilt of radish (Raphanus sativus).
A bioassay has been developed to study the biological control of fusarium wilt in radish (ie isolation, selection and root colonization by Pseudomonas).
The entire project aimed at an integrated approach, resulting in the development of microbial inoculants for commercial applications. This department has worked on 2 aspects of the Pseudomonas strain WCS 358. These were the analysis of the siderophore uptake system and analysis of siderophore biosynthesis regulation.
The entire project aimed at an integrated approach, resulting in the development of microbial inoculants for commercial applications. This department has worked on the regulation of siderophore biosynthesis and uptake, especially by Pseudomonas strain M114. A restriction enzyme map of a 7.8 kb fragment containing a ferric siderophore receptor gene of Pseudomonas strain M114 has been completed.
The entire project aimed at an integrated approach, resulting in the development of microbial inoculants for commercial applications. LEMIR has focused on the isolation of Pseudomonas cepacia from corn roots in order to build a collection of at least 50 pure strains. Test systems have been developed for corn growth promotion and antagonism against Fusarium and Pythium.
The entire project aimed at an integrated approach, resulting in the development of microbial inoculants for commercial applications. Biocem have isolated bacterial strains from maize and tested them in vitro and in a plant/plant growth promoting rhizobacteria test system developed for the project.
The entire project aimed at an integrated approach, resulting in the development of microbial inoculants for commercial applications. Microbial inoculation technology has been developed, suitable for inoculation of fluorescent Pseudomonas onto sugarbeet seeds. Greenhouse and field trials have been used to evaluate Pseudomonas strains for their rhizosphere colonization and biocontrol ability in problem soils.
The entire project aimed at an integrated approach, resulting in the development of microbial inoculants for commercial applications. Fermentation technology has been developed to produce bacterial inoculum cheaply and under conditions promoting the production of antifungal substances. We have performed field evaluation of Pseudomonas strains as biocontrol agents and their ability to colonize the rhizosphere in Italian problem soils.
The entire project aims at an integrated approach resulting in the development of microbial inoculants for commercial applications. This integrated approach will bring together several biological and technological disciplines to study the main factors that are important for practical application of rhizobacteria as inoculants for seed/plant establishment on a range of crops : soil microbiology/ecology, biotechnology/molecular biology, industrial microbiology and seed technology.
Objectives of the project are as follows :
a) To improve seed germination and plant growth by seed or young plant treatments with rhizobacteria.
b) To develop novel technology for crop protection based on biocontrol agents, thus avoiding problems associated with the use of agrochemicals.
Agrochemicals generally impose environmental and health hazards because of their lack of specificity and their toxicity to non-target organisms. Furthermore, development of resistance of pathogens and disposal of toxic waste are also major problems. Biocontrol agents are highly selective, non-toxic to non-target organisms and are immune to host resistance.
The project is concerned with the identification of suitable micro-organisms that, in test systems to be developed, result in a suppression of crop diseases or an improved seed germination or plant growth. The most promising strains will be analysed to elucidate the major mechanisms explaining their beneficial effects. Biotechnology will provide the tools for clarifying these mechanisms and for genetic modifications that should improve and extend the adbvantageous effects. Based on preceding research a few key attributes are considered to be of major importance and research will immediately focus on them : iron-binding compounds known as siderophores, phytohormones, antibiotics, and root colonization. For commercial applications the project focuses on the use of wild type strains. The development of mass production techniques for the inoculants, seed bacterization technologies, and research on storage and optimal use of the new products will allow for greenhouse and field tests with several crops under miscellaneous growing conditions.
The end result will show and improvement of seed germination and plant growth by seed or young plant treatments with rhizobacteria, and novel technology for crop protection based on biocontrol agents. The microbial inoculants to be developed should reach commercial applications for several crops (probably maize, sugar beet and several vegetables) by the end of the project.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringcontrol systems
- medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologygenetic engineering
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesecology
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturehorticulturevegetable growing
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmolecular biology
Topic(s)
Data not availableCall for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
1600 AA Enkhuizen
Netherlands