DEVELOPING DISEASE SUPPRESSIVE PHYLLOSPHERE MICROBIOMES THROUGH APPLIED ECOLOGY

Aim 1: Determine if suppressive communities can be developed for bacterial speck and bacterial spot of tomato, as well as how initial community diversity affects suppression dynamics.Aim 2: Assess how disease suppressive communities interact with common agricultural practices, such as application of chemical pesticides.Aim 3: Identify microbial taxa enriched within suppressive communities and assess their ability to recapitulate disease suppression.