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Effects of plant-selected rhizobacterial communities on the drought resistance of tomato plants

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dc.contributor.authorMonohon, Samantha J., author
dc.contributor.authorVivanco, Jorge M., advisor
dc.contributor.authorManter, Daniel, committee member
dc.contributor.authorWrighton, Kelly, committee member
dc.date.accessioned2021-06-07T10:19:53Z
dc.date.available2021-06-07T10:19:53Z
dc.date.issued2021
dc.description.abstractDrought stress has had devastating effects for vegetable growers world-wide, leading to much recent research focusing on the development of drought-resilient crops. The importance of the rhizosphere microbiome in plant performance under drought stress is under development, including the use of beneficial inoculations of PGPR and transplanting of microbial communities. However, further research is needed to fully understand plants' innate abilities in mediating rhizobacterial recruitment to benefit plant resistance to drought stress. Here, two greenhouse studies were performed to determine the efficacy of conditioned soils containing plant-selected rhizobacterial communities as a means to increase drought resilience of host plants. Soils were autoclaved to lower microbial complexity and ensure the greatest plant influence over soil rhizobacterial recruitment. Tomato plants were grown in soils, autoclaved and control, to assess microbial recruitment under a gradient of water treatments: well-watered, moderate drought and severe drought. Autoclaved soils revealed a potential amplification of plant-selective influence over microbial community assemblage for drought-specific bacteria. Inoculants derived from this study were used to observe the impacts of microbial history on a plant's ability to tolerate contemporary drought stress conditions. Microbial history was shown to have a significant effect on microbial community composition and plant performance under drought conditions. To further apply the conditioned effects of microbial communities on tomato plants under severe drought stress, a multi-generational study was performed to amplify plant-selected microbial communities from soils previously exposed to severe drought treatment. Effects of soil conditioning and microbial history suggested the presence of bacteria, conditioned over generations of plant-selection, involved in microbially-mediated plant growth restriction of tomatoes as a drought avoidance strategy. In summary, prior exposure of plants and microbial communities to drought stress may provide beneficial traits for host plants under contemporary drought conditions.
dc.format.mediumborn digital
dc.format.mediummasters theses
dc.identifierMonohon_colostate_0053N_16495.pdf
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10217/232502
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado State University. Libraries
dc.relation.ispartof2020-
dc.rightsCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.
dc.subjectmicrobial complexity
dc.subjectresilience
dc.subjectsoil conditioning
dc.subjectmicrobial recruitment
dc.subjectdrought
dc.subjectrhizobacteria
dc.titleEffects of plant-selected rhizobacterial communities on the drought resistance of tomato plants
dc.typeText
dcterms.rights.dplaThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights (https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/). You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
thesis.degree.disciplineHorticulture & Landscape Architecture
thesis.degree.grantorColorado State University
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (M.S.)

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