plant-beneficial microbial consortia

The views and opinions expressed in this brochure are purely those of the writers and may not in any circumstances be regarded as stating an official position of the European Commission
CENTRE NATIONAL
DE LA RECHERCHE
SCIENTIFIQUE

It has been running since the 1st November

2006 and will last 36 months
Budget: 2 549 723,30 e
EU grant: 1 860 000 e
Contrat n°036314
Création :: Comète :: www.comete.com

Project Coordinator:
Prof. Yvan Moënne-Loccoz, UMR CNRS 5557 Ecologie Microbienne, Université Lyon 1
moenne@biomserv.univ-lyon1.fr, +33 4 72 43 13 49

EC Project Officer:
Massimo Burioni, DG Research, Directorate E (Biotechnology, Agriculture & Food) - Unit 4
(Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries & Aquaculture)
massimo.burioni@ec.europa.eu +32 2 2959653

plant-beneficial microbial consortia With the support of: A Specific Targeted Research Project (n°036314) supported through the Sixth
ALMA Consulting Group: Ms Anne-Lise Fiard, alfiard@almacg.com, +33 4 72 35 80 30
Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development
 Maize is a strategic target as it is often Now MicroMaize Future
grown in a non-sustainable way in Europe.
MicroMaize
Management of plant-beneficial microbes to balance fertiliser It has been imported from Mexico, without integrated
management
inputs in maize monoculture. its entire guild of root-associated beneficial system
= Lower
In MicroMaize project, a novel strategy is proposed to chemical inputs,
microbes. The project will focus on synergistic reduced water
and air pollution
reduce chemical fertiliser usage in maize monoculture, a key consortia of multifunction plant-beneficial
European cropping system. It is based on the exploitation of a microbes comprising the Azospirillum, N P N P
To rivers
major component of soil fertility, the soil microbial community, Pseudomonas, and the arbuscular mycorrhizal
and the management of 3 well-identified soil microbes (the fungus Glomus. P P P P P P
Insoluble P
bacteria Azospirillum and Pseudomonas, and the mycorrhizal Novel research tools will be developed to N N P
N N
fungus Glomus) integrated with other farming practices in a design consortia and monitor plant-microbe
P
N
N
N N N N
system-based approach. interactions in situ. The establishment of (nitrate)
Pseudomonas,
The objective is to enable a reduction of nitrogen fertilisers by introduced and indigenous plant-beneficial Azospirillum
Groundwater Glomus
pollution N
20-30% and phosphate fertilisers by 50%, while maintaining microbial consortia in the maize rhizosphere
crop yield at current levels. will be achieved by inoculation and management
Positive agronomic effects on crop yield,
of the indigenous microbial community via the
yield quality, food safety (mycotoxins) will be
choice of maize genotypes.
monitored and residual nutrient levels in
The novel microbial management strategies
soil at harvest will be quantified. Microbial
developed in this project will be validated at
innovation will be transferred to farmers and
different field locations throughout Europe
other end-users via demonstration actions
(and in Mexico) under real-life conditions.
and various dissemination modes.
Thanks to chemical inputs, European farmers have been These goals will be achieved by a partnership
successful in reaching high crop yield but their cost is quite including three top academic centres, two
high for farmers and will probably still increase with the cost technical institutes, two SMEs,
of fossil fuels. Unfortunately, crop plants only manage to and an INCO partner as well
take up a fraction of the total amount of chemical fertilisers as a partner dedicated to the
applied in the field. The rest may become a major source management.
of contamination of the atmosphere (of relevance for the
greenhouse effect, the depletion of the stratospheric ozone
layer, etc…), surface water (eutrophisation, algal blooms, etc.)
and groundwater (especially nitrate).
Thus, the use of excessive fertiliser doses in intensive
agriculture in Europe leads to environmental problems. This
will require a switch to lower-input modes of production.
However, profit margins are such that farmers cannot Selected plant-
beneficial microbes
afford yield loss. It is therefore crucial to provide an WP2 WP3
Consortia of Toxicology &
alternative strategy for farmers facing the prospect of synergistic microbial Novel inoculant
inoculants technology
restrictions of fertiliser usage and taxes based on ecological WP5 WP6
WP1
Plant-microbe Field validation of Demonstration,
considerations. dissemination
interactiontoolbox innovative microbial
management and exploitation
WP4
Selection
of microbial
consortial by maize
genotypes