PRIN Project Microbionet

STUDY ON SYNERGISTIC INTERACTIONS BETWEEN BENEFICIAL BACTERIA AND FUNGI TO DEVELOP NEW MICROBIAL-BASED FORMULATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE PLANT PROTECTION (Acronym: MICROBIONET)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Climate change and the growing need for sustainable agriculture pose crucial challenges for effective plant disease management. Soil-borne fungal pathogens cause severe crop losses globally and exhibit limited susceptibility to conventional chemical control strategies. The use of beneficial microorganisms (fungi and bacteria) represents promising biological alternatives. Recent efforts are focused on developing microbial consortia that integrate multiple microbial taxa to improve biocontrol efficacy and plant health. To develop more effective biocontrol formulations, including through the use of new technologies, a deeper understanding of microbial interactions in the rhizosphere is needed.

Plant roots provide a complex mixture of nutrients by root exudation allowing the creation of stably associated microbial communities of which a relevant part is represented by the bacteria that interact with the host plant both as epiphytic and endophytic. The bacterial community composition significantly changes between the bulk soil, rhizosphere, and the endophytic environment; however, its composition can be affected by many other factors (e.g., environment and host genotype). The roots associated microbiome can be also affected by other soil-borne microorganisms that directly or indirectly interact with the plants. In our opinion, fungi represent an interesting means to bacterial conveying in the soil driving the colonization of plant roots. Indeed, the mycelial network creates connections and way, allowing a fast movement of bacteria into the soil. Furthermore, the bacteriome and its composition affect different aspects of plant health (disease resistance, stress tolerance, and nutrient acquisition). 

Using the well-known tomato-Fusarium oxysporum (Fo) pathosystem as a model, the MicroBioNet project focused on exploring how fungal colonization by beneficial Trichoderma spp. or pathogenic Fo strains influences the beneficial bacterial community associated with plant roots. Using NGS technologies, researchers monitored bacterial changes and isolated and characterized promising strains that promote plant growth and protection. The most effective bacterial isolates were studied for their compatibility with Trichoderma and integrated into a bacteria-Trichoderma consortium to more effectively prevent Fusarium wilt and stimulate plant growth. The project's findings pave the way for the development of microbial bioformulations for more sustainable management of soil-borne plant pathogens.