SOIL MICROORGANISMS AS A CRITICAL RESOURCE FOR AGRICULTURE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY

This project conducted a primary scale survey of soil chemistry and microbiology across a range of agroecological zones in Kenya. It is part of a major project that aimed to bring together a consortium of researchers across sub Saharan Africa to implement a research strategy designed to provide baseline surveys of soil microbial communities. The analyses, took advantage of modern molecular phylogenetic methods including next generation DNA sequencing, aim to establish strong baseline datasets for future use in establishing national genetic resource catalogues, land management and utilization, and in monitoring the impacts of climate change and desertification.

本项目针对肯尼亚境内多个农业生态区，开展了土壤化学与微生物学的大规模基础性调查。本项目隶属于一项大型研究计划，该计划旨在汇聚撒哈拉以南非洲各地的研究人员组建科研联盟，推行专属研究策略以完成土壤微生物群落的基线调查工作。本次分析工作借助了包括下一代DNA测序（next generation DNA sequencing）在内的现代分子系统发育学技术，旨在构建高质量的基线数据集，以供后续用于建立国家遗传资源目录、开展土地管理与利用工作，以及监测气候变化与荒漠化的影响。