Utrecht University: Potato microbiome project receives €940.000 research funding

A project aimed at developing new tools to predict and optimize potato plant growth by mapping the microorganisms living on seed potatoes has been awarded a 940.000 euro funding. The project, led by biologist Roeland Berendsen, will be a collaboration between Utrecht University and the commercial partners Agrifirm, Averis seeds, Bayer Cropscience and HZPC. The funding is granted by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and the private companies involved in the project.

Potato plant (iStock)
Potato is one of the world’s most important food crops, but its production greatly depends on the use of fertilizers and pesticides. A promising strategy to reduce the use of these agrochemical, is to optimize the composition of beneficial microorganisms living on the plant. These microorganisms support growth and strength, creating a natural defense mechanism for potato plants.

The new grant allows Utrecht University biologist Roeland Berendsen and his team to develop new tools to precisely map the microbial population on potato tubers. This results in so-called microbiome fingerprints, or a collection of unique compositions of all microorganisms. Next, they will link the microbiome fingerprints from seed potato tubers to the vitality and health of the potato crop that emerges from them.

Ultimately this results in crops that make better use of the natural microbial potential of soils and rely less on fertilizer and pesticides.

Roeland Berendsen
Dr. Roeland Berendsen
Plant-Microbe Interactions
“We will identify and isolate microbes that promote potato vitality and health”, says Berendsen. “These microbes can then be used to develop sustainable potato cultivation systems that contain optimal microbiome. Ultimately this results in crops that make better use of the natural microbial potential of soils and rely less on inputs of fertilizer and pesticides.”