Research Projects

Plants have been evolved with direct association with diversity of microbes which influence overall performance of plants in their natural ecosystem (Edwards et al. 2015). Microbial symbiotic network in rhizosphere (plant-microbes) are very crucial in shaping natural landscape and primary productivity of any ecosystem (Trognitz et al. 2016). Disruption of microbial symbiotic networks and its functioning may negatively affect native plant performance and productivity. Infestation of weeds in agricultural land has been recognised as global concern which adversely affects crop productivity and also causes a major threat to biodiversity in natural ecosystems (Gibbons et al. 2017, Kamutando et al. 2019). Aggressive weeds compete for space and resources including soil nutrients, water, light and ultimately reduce crop yield. Aggressive behaviour and wide range of adaptability of weeds may be associated to their specific below ground microbial symbiotic network (Massenssini et al. 2014, Clay et al. 2016). They may also influence and disrupt the symbiotic network of crop and hence negatively impact their performance. Work on belowground microbial network in connection with crop and their competitive weeds have not been done adequately. Phalaris minor is very competitive weed which infest almost all crop grown in winter and reported as global problem. It is the most noxious weed in the wheat crop cultivated in Indo-Gangetic plains of India (Chhokar et al. 2012). P. minor emerges with the germinating wheat, competes for space, moisture, nutrient and light and reduces the wheat grain yield up to 30-80%, and at extreme case complete failure of wheat crop (Chhokar et al. 2012). This proposal is based on two hypotheses 1. P. minor recruits specific microbiota in their rhizosphere 2. Dominant growth of P. minor disrupt the rhizosphere and root microbiota of wheat and thereby reduce their performance. In best of my literature survey, not a single study has been conducted on root and rhizospheroc microbiota of P. minor correlating its aggressive advantages and negative influences on wheat or any related crops. In this project, compositions of root and rhizospheric bacterial microbiota will be assessed from the P. minor and wheat growing separately and together in created agriculture field through culture dependent and culture independent (metagenomics) methods along with the assessment of the soil physicochemical properties and performance of wheat and P. minor. Present proposal anticipates the occurrence of specific bacterial microbiota with P. minor roots and rhizosphere which promote its performance and aggressive growth. P. minor also influences the root and rhizospheric bacterial microbiota of crop plant (wheat) and negatively affects their performance. Outcome of this project will provide insight in the underlying mechanism of aggressive behaviour of weeds. Finding will offers potential future directions to control and management of weed plant species.