Translating macroecological models to predict microbial establishment probability in an agricultural inoculant introduction

Journal Article · 01 October 2024 · Frontiers in Microbiomes

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/frmbi.2024.1452476 · OSTI ID:2453924

Klimasmith, Isaac M.; Wang, Bing; Yu, Sora; Yoshikuni, Yasuo; Kent, Angela D.

The use of potentially beneficial microorganisms in agriculture (microbial inoculants) has rapidly accelerated in recent years. For microbial inoculants to be effective as agricultural tools, these organisms must be able to survive and persist in novel environments while not destabilizing the resident community or spilling over into adjacent natural ecosystems. Despite the importance of propagule pressure to species introductions, few tools exist in microbial ecology to predict the outcomes of agricultural microbial introductions. Here, we adapt a macroecological propagule pressure model to a microbial scale and present an experimental approach for testing the role of propagule pressure in microbial inoculant introductions. We experimentally determined the risk-release relationship for an IAA-expressing Pseudomonas simiae inoculant in a model monocot system. We then used this relationship to simulate establishment outcomes under a range of application frequencies (propagule number) and inoculant concentrations (propagule size). Our simulations show that repeated inoculant applications may increase establishment, even when increased inoculant concentration does not alter establishment probabilities. Applying ecological modeling approaches like those presented here to microbial inoculants may aid their sustainable use and provide a monitoring tool for microbial inoculants.

• Research Organization: Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI), Urbana, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities (SUF); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231; SC0018420
• OSTI ID: 2453924
• Journal Information: Frontiers in Microbiomes, Journal Name: Frontiers in Microbiomes Vol. 3; ISSN 2813-4338
• Publisher: Frontiers Media SACopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: Switzerland
• Language: English