Description
The U.S. Geological Survey is soliciting research proposals for the development of environmentally friendly bioherbicides and strategies to control invasive Phragmites australis and other invasive plants. The project aims to explore the role of microbial endophytes in enhancing the growth and stress tolerance of invasive Phragmites australis and use that information to develop a new, low-toxicity bioherbicide. The proposed collaborative work will fill the research gap and work to generate a new model for combating invasive species by reducing their competitive abilities through targeting their symbiotic association using low-toxicity compounds or antagonistic microbes. Key objectives include evaluating gene expression in plants treated with a new bioherbicide, refining a bioherbicide by evaluating how adding surfactants and microbes may improve the bioherbicide composition, and evaluating the effectiveness of a bioherbicide on a suite of invasive plants.
• Evaluate gene expression in plants treated with a new bioherbicide
• Refine a bioherbicide by evaluating how adding surfactants and microbes may improve the bioherbicide composition
• Evaluate the effectiveness of a bioherbicide on a suite of invasive plants
• Evaluate the environmental conditions that may affect performance of the bioherbicide
• Evaluate the long-term survival of the bioherbicide in soils
• Collaborate in partnerships needed to produce a product widely available to the public