INFLUENCE OF SOIL MICROBIOTA AND ENTOMOPATHOGENIC NEMATODES ON COTTON DEFENSIVE CHEMICAL PRODUCTION

Many defensive chemicals are naturally produced by cotton to protect plants against diseases and insects. The objectives of this project are to determine if the soil microbiome community and presence of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) influence production of defensive chemicals (e.g., gossypol) in the roots and leaves of cotton plants and to determine if EPNs and the soil microbiome influence root-knot nematode populations and subsequent production of above-ground cotton chemical defenses.