Research

Agricultural Sciences

Title :

Domesticating soil microbiome for mitigation of drought stress tolerance in tomato via rhizosphere engineering

Area of research :

Agricultural Sciences

Focus area :

Soil Microbiology, Plant Biotechnology

Principal Investigator :

Dr. Shilpi Sharma, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi (110016)

Contact info :

Details

Executive Summary :

Agriculture faces challenges in increasing productivity and addressing environmental deterioration. Microbiome engineering of rhizospheres can promote sustainable agriculture by efficiently utilizing diverse microbial communities. Successful multi-generational approaches have shown successful results in enhancing plant-shoot biomass and modulating plant developmental processes. In India, researchers are exploring the role of domesticated microbiomes in mitigating drought stress tolerance in tomato plants. The study aims to domesticate soil microbiomes with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, evaluate the development of synthetic microbial communities, and demonstrate the efficacy of rhizosphere engineering in mitigating drought stress effects on tomato plants. The study aims to develop a domesticated soil microbiome for tomato plants to combat drought stress. The soil microbiome, containing plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, will be screened for functional activities such as nitrogen-fixation, plant hormone production, and salt tolerance. The resulting soil microbiome will be used to create a soil microbiome (SMC) for drought tolerance. The study will also examine the efficacy of rhizosphere engineering in mitigating drought stress in tomato plants under field conditions. The research will also introduce Indian technology for bio-preparation production to Egypt.

Co-PI:

Dr. Anil K Choudhary, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Delhi (110012)

Total Budget (INR):

11,10,000

Organizations involved