The overall objectives of my thesis are to investigate the dynamics of the sorghum root microbiome and to explore the beneficial effects of the root microbiome on sorghum growth and stress... Show moreThe overall objectives of my thesis are to investigate the dynamics of the sorghum root microbiome and to explore the beneficial effects of the root microbiome on sorghum growth and stress tolerance. In Chapter 2, I describe the differences in rhizobacterial community composition of seven different sorghum cultivars grown in the greenhouse in two different soil types at four different plant growth stages. in Chapter 3 I present the co-occurrence of bacterial and fungal communities in the rhizosphere of different sorghum cultivars. Chapter 4 addresses the effects of different rhizobacterial community compositions on growth and drought tolerance of sorghum. In Chapter 5, I described the effects of five endophytic bacterial strains on the growth of four sorghum cultivars. In Chapter 6, I provide a general discussion of the main findings of this thesis and highlight the importance of sorghum-microbiome interactions. Show less
