STTR Phase I: Development of Seed Applied Bacterial Consortium for Soybean to Increase Yield, Nitrogen Fixation, Disease Resistance, and After-Harvest Soil Nitrogen Content

"The broader impact of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will include substantial economic and commercial benefits for organic soybean growers, consumers, and the United States. This project will develop a combination of bacteria applied via seed coating to reduce soybean disease outbreaks, reduce soybean fertilizer needs, and increase soybean yield. Currently, the United States remains heavily reliant on imported organic soybeans, with over 80% sourced from countries such as Turkey, India, and Argentina. This project aims to support American soybean farmers in transitioning to organic production by providing them with a solution that can replace pesticide and fertilizer applications that are used in conventional agriculture. The successful execution of this project would thereby reduce dependence on imports and strengthen domestic agricultural markets. By increasing local organic soybean supply, this effort has the potential to enhance economic resilience and contribute to the national agricultural sector. Beyond economic and commercial benefits, this project also supports societal benefits like property health concerns from nitrogen fertilizer run-off. In the United States, improper nitrogen management contributes significantly to algal blooms and fish die offs in waterways, thus solutions such as this project can reduce nitrogen fertilizer use thus reducing nitrogen run-off. The proposed project seeks to address challenges faced by organic soybean growers related to plant pathogens and nitrogen availability. This research aims to develop a microbial seed coating that enhances organic soybean production by simultaneously reducing pathogen-associated yield loss and improving nitrogen fixation. The overarching goal is to develop a bacterial consortium that promotes soybean disease resistance, nitrogen fixation, yield, and soil nitrogen availability. The proposed project will achieve these objectives through a set of field and greenhouse trials designed to evaluate the impact of the seed-applied bacterial consortium on soybean growth and productivity. Specifically, these trials will assess disease resistance to damping-off pathogens, including Fusarium, Pythium, and Phytophthora, through disease incidence scores and stand counts. Additionally, soybean tissue nitrogen concentration and final yield will be measured to determine consortium effects on nitrogen fixation and productivity. Post-harvest soil samples will be analyzed to quantify residual nitrogen availability. Rhizosphere samples will be collected throughout the growing season and examined to identify microbial strains associated with improved plant and soil characteristics, facilitating iterative optimization of the consortium. These findings will contribute to the development of an effective microbial inoculant for organic soybean production, enhancing both disease management and nitrogen efficiency. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria."