Project description:

Bavaria is expected to experience increasingly variable temperature and precipitation patterns. These growing weather instabilities threaten global food security by intensifying droughts and heavy rainfall events, which negatively affect crop yields, soil stability, and nutrient availability. Genomics, combined with quantitative genetics, offers sustainable and innovative approaches to improve crop resilience to both drought and excess water. However, little is known about the genetic mechanisms underlying root biomass and root architecture. In addition, the soil microbiome and its interaction with plants play a central role in water and nutrient uptake. Beneficial microbial communities in the rhizosphere support root function, enhance drought tolerance, and modulate plant responses to environmental change. The aim of this project is to identify the key genetic and microbial determinants of adaptation to water stress. Using an interdisciplinary approach, plant genetics, microbiome research, and computational biology will be integrated to develop predictive models of plant–water–microbiome interactions, with the goal of sustainably adapting crops to the challenges of climate change.

More info on bayklif2 - Das zweite Bayerische Klimaforschungsnetzwerk