EVALUATING THE INFLUENCE OF BENEFICIAL MICROBES ON CROP QUALITY IN THE NURSERY AND GREENHOUSE INDUSTRY

Objective 1: To characterize microbial diversity in current greenhouse and nursery production systems to include different substrate components. Objective 2: To determine the influence of different cultural inputs (fertilizer quantity and type, irrigation, plant growth regulators, etc) on microbial biodiversity in containerized growing systems. Objective 3: To screen the Cooperator's greenhouse microbe collection for bacteria that can increase nutrient and water use efficiency and increase plant stress tolerance. Objective 4: To create microbial consortia that will improve crop quality, abiotic and biotic stress tolerance in a broad range of nursery and greenhouse crops.