Dr. Roeland Berendsen from the Plant-Microbe Interaction group at the Utrecht University receives funding for his proposal: “Sequence-based POTato Microbiome tools for microbiome-optimized potatoes”.
More information about the proposal:
Potato is one of the most important food crops, but its production greatly depends on the use of agrochemicals. The plant microbiome supports plant growth and health and microbiome-assisted crop systems can reduce the use of agrochemicals. In this project, we will link sequencing-based microbiome fingerprints from seed potato tubers to the vitality and health of the potato crop that emerges from them. We will identify and isolate potato vitality- and health-promoting microbes to develop sustainable microbiome-optimized potato cultivation systems that make better use of the natural microbial potential of soils and rely less on inputs of fertilizer and pesticides.
More information about the NWO Open Technology Programme.