Biological based products for improved cotton production

Better controls are needed to limit cotton losses from Verticillium and Fusarium wilt diseases. This project aims to: find and improve microbial strains (from cotton farms) to control Verticillium and Fusarium in glasshouses and fields; develop ways to harness plant-microbiome interactions to control disease; and identify next-generation (genomics and satellite-based) biological indicators of soil health, including disease incidence and farm productivity. The project uses a systems approach (pathogen, host and environment) to build disease-suppressive soils and to help nutrient acquisition and stress response.