Plant health microbiomes

Understanding the impacts of farming practices on the soil microbiome as a sustainable approach to crop production.

Farming systems are coming under mounting pressure to increase their crop yields to feed a growing population. Therefore, maintaining and enhancing soil biological function is integral for productivity and sustainability of agricultural systems.

Publication alert: Ranking environmental and edaphic attributes driving soil microbial community structure and activity with special attention to spatial and temporal scale

Discusses what attributes drive soil microbial community structure and activity at a variety of scales?

Publication alert – Diversity, community structure, and potential functions of root-associated bacterial communities of different wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars under field conditions

Better understanding the structure and function of wheat-soil microbiome to enable the development of superior cultivars for nutrient acquisition, disease protection and stress tolerance.

Investigating the microbial basis of population suppression in Australian plague locusts

Cases of Australian plague locust population suppression occurred despite extreme swarming conditions forecasted for the wet Australian summer. Investigations into cause of this population suppression could lead to novel ways to protect cereal crops from this pest species.

Crop stubble. Credit - Donna Senza Fiato

Crop residue microbiome

Investigating the microbial processes underpinning degradation of crop residues to improve soil fertility and limit carry-over of stubble-borne disease.

Publication alert – Growing soil organic carbon in dryland agricultural systems

The understanding of plant–microbe interactions can enable the growth of soil organic carbon, an important factor of soil fertility, in dryland agricultural systems, where it can be limiting.

Podcast – the impact of the soil microbiome on Australian agricultural crops.

Dr Lachlan Dow sits down with the team from the farm advice podcast to discuss the impact of soil microbiomes on agricultural crops.

Disease suppressive soils – nature’s solution to pathogens

Disease suppressive soils are those with the ability to limit the impact from soilborne pathogens on crops. Research on their unique microbiome could lead to significant new management solutions for disease prevention.

Wheat crop health microbiome

Understanding the plant microbiome to enhance wheat crop growth and health, and help meet the increasing demand on this grain.