Research Projects

India’s BIO-E3 initiative aims to transition to cleaner, more sustainable energy sources, with a focus on biomass-based energy. India has set ambitious targets for biomass-based energy generation as part of this strategy, seeking to leverage its large agricultural residue base to produce bioenergy and biofuels. The increasing demand for biomass to meet these goals presents a challenge in terms of both supply and sustainability. To address this, utilizing barren marginal lands for biomass production aligns with its dual objectives of promoting renewable energy and preserving agricultural productivity. This approach helps divert pressure away from productive agricultural land, ensuring that food security is not compromised. India faces significant land degradation (around 30% of its land is degraded), where heavy metals in soil has emerged as a one of the grave problems. Pb and Cd are common heavy metals found in agricultural soil, which is mostly derived from phosphatic (P) fertilizers. Microbes assisted phytoremediation, a sustainable technique for the removal or stabilizing heavy metals in contaminated soils, has gained attention as a solution. Napier grass (NG), a high-biomass energy crop, is an excellent candidate for phytoremediation due to its biomass yield and carbon storage capabilities. Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), especially those isolated from metal-contaminated soils, have shown promise in enhancing plant tolerance to heavy metal stress. The role of PGPB has been explored in perennial crops like Miscanthus sp., Napier grass, and switchgrass under heavy metal stress. Studies show that inoculating these crops with exophytic or endophytic bacteria improves phytostabilization, protein, chlorophyll content, and biomass. However, the molecular interaction between PGPB and Napier grass (NG) in metal-contaminated soil remains unexplored. Key unanswered questions include: (i) Which functional genes in PGPBs contribute to heavy metal stress tolerance? (ii) What molecular mechanisms help NG tolerate metal stress and enhance growth? (iii) How do PGPBs alleviate heavy metal stress in NG? (iv) What is the synergistic effect of PGPB-assisted NG on soil properties? This project aims to address these gaps, enhance molecular knowledge, and aid in the formulation of biopreparations for NG growth and the reclamation of metal-contaminated land. The project hypotheses are as follows: 1. There are distinct interaction mechanisms between endophytic PGPB and NG versus exophytic PGPB and NG under heavy metal stress. 2. A combination of endophytic and exophytic PGPB will enhance NG’s growth leading to effective phytostabilization potential under heavy metal stress. This research will advance the use of Napier grass and PGPB for sustainable biomass production and soil remediation, contributing to India’s goals for clean energy and land rehabilitation.