Research

The study group have identified several microbial inocula that improve barley growth at moderate salinity. This project will evaluate the effects of these inocula at a range of salinities in the greenhouse and then test whether these results are repeatable in the field. This will determine whether the new inocula should be developed into a commercial inoculant. While current work focuses on a single barley variety and only partially characterizes the microbes in the inocula. This research will expand testing to three varieties and better characterize the microbes in the inoculant. By also characterizing the microbes found on the plant roots in the greenhouse and field trials, they can determine which microbes actually colonize the plants and whether differences in this colonization are reflected in how the barley varieties respond to inoculation. If the varieties do differ in their responses, this will allow them to determine which soil microbes are required in an inocula that is effective for most barley varieties, thus reducing the likelihood that inoculation will fail and thus reducing risk. In the field trial, they will monitor soil conditions at the plot level at two different salinities at two sites in two different years. By identifying the conditions under which different inocula successfully establish, this will allow them to make recommendations on when inoculation may be successful and how this might vary among inoculants. This will let producers avoid wasting money on inoculation when it is unlikely to be successful.

Objectives

1. Identification and characterization of microbial inocula that enhance barley production in saline soils.
2. Knowledge of how barley varieties differ in their response to soil microbiota present in soil inocula.
3. Determination of the conditions favorable or inhibiting to the establishment of microbial inocula in the field.