To enable the application of beneficial microorganisms in plant production systems MICRO.1 aims to improve our understanding of plant-microbe-environment interactions. At field scale we study the impact of farming practice on plant health and productivity and how the structure and function of the plant-associated microbiota serves as an intermediary in this process. At laboratory scale we use experimental systems of horticultural model plants to study the interplay between abiotic (especially drought and salinity) and biotic (especially soil-borne fungal pathogens) stress, the plant microbiota and plant health and productivity. MICRO.1 contributes to the overall goal of the institute by advancing our understanding of the impact of microorganisms on plant systems, which may accelerate the development of more sustainable horticulture.
MICRO.1 Principles of integrated pest management
Head of RG MICRO.1: Dr Rita Grosch
Environmental stress is responsible for considerable crop yield and quality loss in plant production systems. Plant-associated microorganisms may offer a sustainable means to improve plant health and productivity, e.g. by conferring stress tolerance to both biotic and abiotic stress and by promoting plant growth, but this potential is still largely untapped.

Dipl.-Ing. (FH)
Sabine Breitkopf
Großbeeren
033701 - 78 212
breitkopf@igzev.de
Former Staff

Krishna Kodappully Das
033701 - 78 234
das@igzev.de
Former Staff

Dipl.-Ing. (FH)
Angelika Fandrey
Großbeeren
033701 - 78 211
fandrey@igzev.de
Former Staff

Dr.
Burkhardt Flemer
Großbeeren
033701 - 78 212
flemer@igzev.de
Former Staff

M. Sc.
Sneha Gulati
Großbeeren
033701 - 78 221
gulati@igzev.de
Former Staff

Sieglinde Widiger
Großbeeren
033701 - 78 211
widiger@igzev.de
Former Staff
Cooperation Partners
Impact of long-term organic and mineral fertilization on rhizosphere metabolites, root-microbial interactions and plant health of lettuce
Windisch S., Sommermann L., Babin D., Chowdhury P. S., Grosch R., Moradtalab N., Walker F., Höglinger B., El-Hasan A., Armbruster W., Nesme J., Sörensen S. J., Schellenberg I., Geistlinger J., Smalla K., Rothballer M., Ludewig U., Neumann G. 2021. Impact of long-term organic and mineral fertilization on rhizosphere metabolites, root-microbial interactions and plant health of lettuce. Frontiers in Microbiology 11, 597745.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.597745
→
Distinct rhizomicrobiota assemblages and plant performance in lettuce grown in soils with different agricultural management histories
Babin D., Sommermann L., Chowdhury P. S., Behr J. H., Sandmann M., Neumann G., Nesme J., Sörensen S. J., Schellenberg I., Rothballer M., Geistlinger J., Smalla K., Grosch R. 2021. Distinct rhizomicrobiota assemblages and plant performance in lettuce grown in soils with different agricultural management histories. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 97(4), fiab027
→Transcriptional changes in potato sprouts upon Interaction with Rhizoctonia solani indicate pathogen-induced interference in the defence pathways of potato
Zrenner R., Verwaaijen B., Genzel F., Flemer B., Grosch R. 2021. Transcriptional changes in potato sprouts upon Interaction with Rhizoctonia solani indicate pathogen-induced interference in the defence pathways of potato. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 22, 3094.
→Potato plant spheres and to a lesser extent the soil type influence the proportion and diversity of bacterial isolates with in vitro antagonistic activity towards Ralstonia solanacearum
Elsayed T. R., Grosch R., Smalla K. 2021. Potato plant spheres and to a lesser extent the soil type influence the proportion and diversity of bacterial isolates with in vitro antagonistic activity towards Ralstonia solanacearum. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 97(4), fiab038.
https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiab038
→
CO2 treatment increases glucosinolate hydrolysis products in two Arabidopsis thaliana accessions
Wiesner-Reinhold, M.; Nickel, M.; Graefe, J.; Schreiner, M.; Hanschen, F.S. (2021). CO2 treatment increases glucosinolate hydrolysis products in two Arabidopsis thaliana accessions. Journal of Applied Botany and Food Quality 94, 16 – 25 (2021), DOI:10.5073/JABFQ.2021.094.003
→In-situ leaf-surface micro-topography -the case of stomata detection-
In-situ leaf-surface micro-topography -the case of stomata detection-. R.Klose, O. Körner, J. Gräfe. Acta horticulturae 1296:477-484
→Root growth and presence of Rhizophagus irregularis distinctly alter substrate hydraulic properties in a model system with Medicago truncatula
Richard Pauwels, Jan Jansa, David Püschel, Anja Müller, Jan Graefe, Steffen Kolb, Michael Bitterlich: Root growth and presence of Rhizophagus irregularis distinctly alter substrate hydraulic properties in a model system with Medicago truncatula.Plant and Soil ( IF 3.299 ) Pub Date : 2020-09-30
DOI:10.1007/s11104-020-04723-w
→Impact of individual and combined abiotic and biotic stress on plant performance and bacterial root microbiota of tomato
Gulati Sneha 2020. Impact of individual and combined abiotic and biotic stress on plant performance and bacterial root microbiota of tomato.
Establishment and persistence of Samonella enterica in agricultural systems
Schierstaedt, J.,Nr. 206 (2019): 12th Young Scientists Meeting 2019, Kleinmachnow, Germany, November 6-8
Current Project

InnoWild
Establishment of a cultivation and utilization system of native and climate-adapted wild plants w...
Other Projects
ProteoVeg
Platform for proteome analytics in horticulture – Complementation of a high-performance mass spectrometer to the instrumentation (ProteoVeg)
Mass spectrometry-based exploration of plant-associated microbial communities
Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) is a unique tool for fast and high resolving characterization...
Spatial mapping of root metabolites
Plant roots secrete a wide range of compounds that govern the interaction with other organisms in the rhizosphere. In this project, the spatial distribution ...
Elucidating plant-pathogen interactions at the protein level
Soil-borne pathogenic fungi cause severe losses in crop yield and quality. In Principle, they colonize the plant root surface i...
DiControl
Implications of soil management practices and application of biocontrol strains on soil disease suppressiveness for improved so...