Plant-soil-microbe interactions under abiotic stress: rhizosphere and long-distance signalling
Supervisors:
Prof Ian Dodd, Lancaster Environment Centre (Lancaster University)
Dr Tim George, Ecological Sciences (The James Hutton Institute)
Summary:
Plants can enhance interactions with soil in several fundamental ways. Specifically, by extending their relative root surface area by producing lateral roots and root hairs and through interactions with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) (Wang et al. 2022). Alternatively, roots can alter the soil physical, biological and chemical properties by exuding compounds which affect soil water relations, release unavailable nutrients and recruit a beneficial rhizosphere microbiome (Hallett et al. 2022). The relative role of these mechanisms in the formation of the rhizosphere or rhizosheath is still not well understood.
This project aims to understand the trade-offs between roots and mycorrhizae with respect to water stress and the role of root exudates and phytohormones in developing this interaction in crop plants. You will assimilate wide-ranging skills, analytical techniques and concepts from a breadth of research fields (root biology, microbiology, plant water relations). This combination will equip you with unique expertise in an emerging area of plant sciences (plant-water relations at the root-soil interface) that will be important to plant breeding companies.