Impact of multigenerational drought on the wheat seed microbiome (ACCEPTED)

Abstract Wheat (Triticum spp.) is a staple food crop, providing a fifth of the world’s protein and caloric needs. Our research examines the impact of multi generation post-flowering drought stress on the wheat seed endophytic fungal community. Understanding how wheat seed fungal communities respond to drought stress over several generations can improve our knowledge of legacy drought stress. In this manuscript, we aim to identify seed associated fungi that play critical roles within the wheat seed under drought stress conditions.

Wheat seed mycobiome

While much work has been done to examine the microbes associated with roots and leaves, less is known about seed associated microbes and their functional roles. As a flowering plant undergoes reproduction, pathogenic and non-pathogenic fungi attempt to colonize the developing seed niche in waves of introductions from other plant organs and the surrounding environment. My PhD research focus on revealing the impact that drought, geography, and genotype have in the wheat seed mycobiome.