Microbiology in the world – and in agroecology
We have only just begun to understand the extent of the influence which microorganisms have on our everyday life and our well-being. It has thus recently been proved that intestinal bacteria affect humans’ mental state in addition to their effect on, for instance, the development of obesity.
In the same way, there is growing evidence that the microorganisms in and around the plant (and not just pathogens, rhizobium and mycorrhiza) have a great effect on the yielding capacity of the plant. This knowledge is almost trivial to most of those who work with agroecology, but it is still striking how the microorganisms and their composition and functions are relevant and a part of the solution to almost all the issues to which we in this department contribute solutions – whether it is the quality of the soil, the water or nutrient uptake of the plants and of course the ability of the plants to resist diseases and other stress factors.
We can in fact go so far that we should regard the plant and its surrounding microorganisms as a unified entity. This ‘holo-organism’ can thus draw on the enormous genetic potential which the microorganisms ‘add to’ the genome of the plant and thereby achieve a better protection against diseases, drought or heat stress as well as improve its nutrient uptake, etc.
At the same time, it is possible that this ability to cooperate with the microorganisms, both in the soil and on the leaf surface, has eroded through many years of intensive plant breeding in which the symbiosis of the plant with the microorganisms has been eliminated to a considerable extent in modern, high-input farming. Therefore, there is a huge potential for robust plants in restoring the ability of the plants to communicate and cooperate with the microorganisms, for instance by utilising genes from the ancestors of the crop plants (wild species or old varieties) in plant breeding.
Such an effort requires expertise in microbiology, plant molecular biology, nutrient cycling, soil physics, chemistry, etc. Is it possible that we might use our knowledge better across the various sections for some fantastic applications and for instance by investing in modern technologies for the study and characterisation of microorganisms and their effect on plant growth which could be used by all the sections in the department?