Grant: Engage Plus Grants Program

The use of plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) in agricultural practice is one of the fastest developing research areas, targeted on application of natural growth stimulators in crop production. Great expectations are put on the plant symbiotic species of Methylobacterium because of their unique, growth promoting characteristics. Methylobacteria are capable of producing extensive amounts of plant hormones known as cytokinins (CK), which are crucial factors regulating plant growth and development. From an agricultural perspective the most important attribute of CKs is their promotion of flowering and new seed growth which leads to improved yields. The use of Methylobacteria as bioinoculants has been previously reported to enhance germination, stimulate seedling growth, and increase disease resistance in plants.This project builds on the progress achieved with the original Engage Grant that revealed the soybean growth promoting character of the Methylobacterium strain, selected on the basis of its CK production previously profiled in Dr. Emery's Lab. The field trials have shown that the tested inoculant can benefit both vegetative and reproductive plant development. Methylobacterium enhanced pod formation and seed yield; however, the increase in yield depended on the method of its application. Foliar spray proved to be the most beneficial delivery method; therefore, we propose to test the different variants of this technology in order to find out the best bacteria concentration and the optimal plant stage to be treated with the inoculant. If the effects of the planned experiments are satisfactory, the work will be continued at NutriAg Ltd. to develop a new growth promoting biological product. In the future, Methylobacterium-based bio-fertilizer can be tested for beneficialeffects on other crop plants, with the aim to develop universal and/or crop-specific product lines. Ultimately, stimulated by new Methylobacterium inoculants growth promotion and plant quality improvement will create possibilities for increased revenue for Canadian farmers.