Imaging the soil microbiome impact on drought stress-adaptive responses of cowpea roots

We recently discovered that soil microbes control key aspects of the drought stress-adaptive response of cowpeas. The implication of this finding is that new microbe-based agritech innovations can be developed for application to soil as a strategy to combat drought. The mechanisms by which soil microbiomes confer robust drought resistance to cowpeas is still unknown. Preliminary data suggests that microbes primarily change the root 3D structure within the soil. Here we propose to combine two imaging techniques (using x-rays and neutrons) to visualize details of soil-root interactions governed by soil microbes. Combined with plant gene expression analysis, the imaging results will provide new insights into the mechanisms used in nature to withstand severe droughts. The results can be exploited to cushion agriculture against climate change, helping to stabilize the global food security.