Degrading soil quality coupled with population growth and food demand require an innovative view of agriculture, as called for in the EU’s current Soil Mission. Reducing the use of mineral fertilisers and plant protection products, enriching the soil with organic matter, producing healthy food while caring for soil health are the main challenges facing modern agriculture.
Osmotic stress is one of the main abiotic stresses and directly affects plant growth and yield. Progressive climate change is causing prolonged periods of drought and the occurrence of floods. At the same time, there is an excessive use of mineral fertilisers as salts. As a result, the phenomenon of osmotic stress is occurring more and more frequently as a direct consequence of drought and salinity.
The main objective of the project is to develop an innovative biopreparation aimed at counteracting the effects of osmotic stress occurring in the soil environment as a consequence of climate change and human activity. The main objective of the project will be realised through specific objectives, which include:
The main objective of the project will be achieved through specific objectives, which include:
(1) Determination of the full biotechnological potential of the selected bacteria;
(2) Selection of the most effective composition of the bacterial inoculum;
(3) Development and optimisation of the full formulation of the biopreparation.
(4) Determination of the application efficiency of the formulation depending on the application model used;
(5) Determination of the effectiveness of the biopreparation under field conditions.
The large area of agricultural land in Poland, with the simultaneous increase in farmers’ awareness of biological crop support methods, indicate that the need for biopreparations is timely. The significant potential for the use of such a biopreparation is primarily due to agriculture’s need for crop support measures in the face of increasingly frequent periods of drought. The formulation will be able to be used on saline soils where stress limits plant growth.