Plant-microbial interactions: legume-rhizobial cover crops under drought and climate change

To develop sustainable agriculture under climate change we need to tackle CO2 emissions and drought stress. Legume-rhizobial cover crops (leys) enhance carbon and nitrogen in soils, reducing vulnerability to drought and water pollution. However, legume-rhizobia partnerships vary widely in these traits and the direct role of these symbioses on plant water use and drought response is unclear. These unknowns have major implications for stakeholder decision-making when planting for multifunctional landscapes, rotation cropping, fodder, and forage crops. This PhD studentship explores the impact of legume cover species and their rhizobial symbioses on whole-plant and field-scale water use and water deficit responses. Soils are increasingly vulnerable to erosion caused by droughts and this will worsen with the increasing frequency of drought and flood events. By identifying the most promising water-use-efficient legume-rhizobial partnerships with resilience to water deficit, we could optimise leys for plant yields and soil improvement.

The ideal candidate will have a strong interest in agro-ecological issues, with an enthusiasm for a mix of field and lab work. Applicants should have a degree related to biology, environmental sciences, or agronomy. Experience in plant development or plant physiology would be beneficial. This multidisciplinary topic will provide the student with a diverse skill set in plant stress physiology, ecology, and soil science. The supervisory team spans two departments at the University of Sheffield with Prof. Duncan Cameron (founding director of The Institute for Sustainable Food) and Dr Ellie Harrison in the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, Prof. Julie Gray in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology and Dr Caspar Chater, a Research Leader in the Plant Resources Team at RBG Kew. The project will be based at Sheffield, with close collaboration with Kew.

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