The physiological, biochemical and molecular processes that determine fluctuations in nutrient remobilization in response to the most often abiotic stresses that limit cereal crop yield in the Pampeana region are studied. The ability of different symbiotic microorganisms to mitigate these stresses is also evaluated. Special emphasis is given to the processes that determine the quality of the grains.
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The aim is to explain the response of crops as a consequence of the edaphic processes that affect nutrients availability and crop mechanisms that are affected by fertilizer addition. We aim to evaluate the effects of mineral nutrition on the determination of both, grain yield and industrial quality.
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Through experiments in modified environments and analysis with simulation models, the effects on biophysical processes and agronomic adaptation strategies in the face of climate change scenarios are being studied. The main ongoing research projects include the identification of current and future constraints for maize and soybean cropping in the Chaco region, and wheat in different regions of the world.
This line of research is aligned with the need to adapt current production systems to a sustainable productivity framework, minimizing environmental impacts and identifying alternatives to optimize agricultural production. The role of environmental variability, fertilization and their interactions in determining crop yields is analyzed in two areas with marked climatic and edaphic contrasts: the Northern Pampean region and the Semiarid/Subhumid Chaco.
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This line of research is based on image processing techniques as well as statistical analysis using mixed models. Its main objective is to identify sampling methods to integrate sensor-generated information in plant breeding and variety evaluation programs. Within this line of research, the use of statistical methods to efficiently design experiments to evaluate germplasm is also considered.
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The aim of our research is to decipher the role of subtilisins (serine proteases, family S8A) in the proteolytisis associated with nitrogen remobilization during leaf senescence and degradation of storage proteins during the germination of barley grains.
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The objective of this research is to understand the impact that the use and management of different biofertilizers has on the mineral nutrition of barley, with special emphasis on the parameters and mechanisms that determine the yield and quality of the grains.
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This line of research evaluates the impact of limitations imposed by soil nitrogen and phosphorus availability on crop growth and soil exploration. Studies are focused on the Pampean Region and soybean, corn and wheat as model crops. The experimental approach combines fine and coarse scales and address crop responses to combined soil constraints.
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In the framework of contributing to the development, improvement and competitiveness of crops, fruits and flours, the general objective of this line of work is to investigate the use of non-thermal plasmas (or cold plasma) as a controller of pathologies caused by bacteria, fungi and insects on the different samples, in addition to studying: their promoting effect on germination, induction of biological nitrogen fixation, plant growth and improvement of flour quality. Said implementation as an agronomic practice hopes to reflect productive benefits in the agri-food sector and achieve the reduction of agrochemicals in the soil and water of rural areas.
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Soybeans are one of the main crops in Argentina and is subjected to different adversities that reduce yields year by year. In this project the focus is on drought tolerance, insect attack and fungal pathogens and includes six sequential approaches: (i) the identification of contrasting genotypes in the response to adversity; (ii) the analysis of gene expression in these genotypes under control and treatment conditions for adversity exposure, by means of transcriptomic analyses; (iii) the selection of those notable genes by enrichment studies; (iv) the identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the coding and regulatory regions of these genes; (v) the proposal of an array of SNPs to implement them in assisted breeding and; (vi) phenotypic validation of these SNPs in field experiments. The ultimate goal is to propose a battery of SNPs efficient enough to guide breeding. Within the identified genes, fundamental attention has been paid to those who code for the different types of thiorredoxins. In addition, as a complement to this final goal, we are starting a line of research based on the isolation and application of endophytic bacteria from soybean for the biocontrol of phytopathogenic diseases in this crop, based on antibiosis and/or induction systemic resistance (ISR) mechanisms.
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In the current worldwide scenario, to increase crop yields, agricultural activity is creating a high demand for nutrients, leading to the loss of soil fertility. Producers resort to fertilization practices, which often result in excess, damaging the environment. Nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize agriculture using the nano version of conventional fertilizers, rendering a positive impact in reducing the pollution caused by modern practices. The development of eco-friendly processes for the synthesis of nanomaterials has become an important line of research of nanotechnology called “green synthesis”. This line of study proposes an alternative to chemical synthesis based on the biogenesis of nanoparticles of different elements such as iron, manganese, magnesium, cobalt, molybdenum, and zinc, using different enzymes of plant, bacterial and fungal origin as catalysts in the process. synthesis. The objective of this research is to gain knowledge in the design of new biomimetic nanomaterials that can be transferred and evaluated in the agricultural sector.
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Nanomaterials are artificially developed structures, exhibiting size-dependent properties. This project proposes an environmentally friendly alternative using biotechnology and green chemistry for the development of metallic nanoparticles. The absence of chemical reducing agents in the biogenic process leads to obtaining uncontaminated surfaces, which makes them very interesting from the point of view of their biotechnological application. The goal of this line of research resides in the design, synthesis and application of nanoparticles of different metals such as copper, silver and zinc for the control of plant diseases.
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Species belonging to the Pseudomonas and Burkholderia genera possess interesting properties of plant-growth promotion, antagonism of phytopathogens and degradation of toxic compounds, including mycotoxins involved in plant virulence. The main aims of our research lines include the study of the mechanisms involved in the competence and survival in the rhizosphere, the production of antimicrobial compounds and mycotoxins degradation in bacteria of these genera.
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In our lab we have bacterial strains isolated from different associations with plants. These strains show differential antibiosis mechanisms against various species of fungi and phytopathogenic bacteria. Based on the bibliography, these mechanisms are mediated by a great variety of compounds that are strain-dependent and whose synthesis is induced under certain culture conditions. The structural characterization of these bioactive metabolites, as well as the identification of their biosynthetic gene clusters and the study of its regulation, provide a fundamental basis for the development of new biopesticides and / or biotechnological application of the gene products, which may serve as a complement or substitution of conventional agrochemicals. In our country, there is a high demand for natural-products which meet local requirements, turning national companies more competitive than foreign producers. In particular, we aim to develop bioactive products for the control of phytopathogenic diseases of soybeans (Glycine max) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), two important crops in Argentine agriculture.
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The general aim of this research line is to search for new active products and Biorenewables with potential application in the agroindustry, focusing on agricultural wastes and native species of arid and semiarid regions of Argentina. The studies typically include: the characterization, identification and quantification of the metabolites present in bio-oils, biochar and extracts of different plant organs through Fast Pyrolysis, Py-GSMS and Microwave, and the isolation of bioactive metabolites through bio-guided fractionation. Metabolomic studies and fingerprinting (NMR and Py-GCMS) are also used to unravel plant-environmental interactions through compound identification to gain a better understanding on species functioning in its natural environment. Studies in different shrub species of the genus Flourensia (Asteraceae) allowed us to identify novel compounds with potent allelopathic and antibacterial activity, as well as an array of bioproductos with direct and indirect applications in different industries.
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Our research interests are the study of Chemical Ecology in plant-insect interactions. The aim of our studies is not only the identification and elucidation of plant immunological responses against insect attack, but also to study insect responses and behavior as response to plant defenses. Recently we have started to study the function of insect gut microflora in the tolerance of pest insects to plant defenses. Studying the interactions of gut bacteria with their host and its effect on insect behavior and performance will allow us to understand how insect pests can tolerate chemical defenses of crops. To address these kinds of question my group studies the interactions between soybean (Glycine max) with two of the main pest in Argentina, the southern green stinkbug (Nezara viridula) and Anticarsia genmatalis.
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Soil microorganisms constitute one of the most complex and diverse known natural communities. They are responsible of key steps in the biogeochemical cycles and their activities have an impact on primary productivity, animal and plant diversity and global climate, for example though the emission and mitigation of greenhouse gasses (GHG). This huge diversity can be affected by natural and anthropic phenomena. Among the anthropic effects, changes in land use have important consequences over microbial abundance and diversity. In recent years, the study of soil microbial diversity, especially bacterial communities, has advanced thanks to the use of a new generation of DNA sequencing methodologies. However, it is not yet clear the connection between microbial diversity and soil ecological functions. In this project, we propose to study the link between the microbial diversity of pristine and agricultural soils in Northwestern Argentina and two ecological soil functions: the regulation of GHG emissions and disease suppression. Finding the significance of these changes is a priority for the study of soil ecology in natural ecosystems and agroecosystems, and particularly for the preservation of soils and their rational and sustainable use. This study will contribute to the use of practices that are sustainable from ecological, economic and social standpoints.
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We are an interdisciplinary team that uses the nematode C. elegans as a biological model to study environmental impacts. The main research lines are the integrated water quality analysis of different Argentine basins and the study of endocrine disruption effects of pesticides.
Group leader:Eliana R. Munarriz, PhD, MBA - emunarriz@agro.uba.ar
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Two main lines of bioinformatics research are underway 1) Genomics and transcriptomics analyses in species of the genus Mycobacterium. 2) Metagenomics analysis with amplicons (167S rRNA) and whole genomic DNA from different microbiomes: soil, guts of insects and human intestines.
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The application of fertilizers and pesticides have been the traditional tool to satisfy crop nutrient demand and to protect crops from insects and diseases. These methods have led to an agriculture based on synthetic products, successful to raise yields, but with environmental costs. The objective of this line of research is to study the strategies of the plants and their associated microbiomes with potential to increase the effectivity of environmental resources to reduce the use of agrochemicals. The specific objectives are: i) to evaluate the morphological and functional changes of the underground organs under the presence of simultaneous stresses in order to obtain insights for the efficient use of nutrients; ii) to evaluate the effect of abiotic and biotic factors on nutrients translocation and their role in the efficient use of nutrients; iii) to evaluate the use of bacteria, fungi and biological compounds as a supplement to phosphate fertilization; iv) to identify mechanisms of defense of soybean against the attack of insects and to evaluate the possible modulation of these mechanisms by the associated microbiomes; v) to determine the participation of the intestinal microbiome of the insects in the tolerance to soybean defenses; vi) to develop technologies for biological control of phytopathogenic fungi in extensive crops. Our geographic framework is the Pampean Region and its main summer (soybean and corn) and winter crops (wheat and barley). Experimental approaches include experiments under controlled and field conditions. Measurements cover an extensive range that includes root analysis by rhizotrons, isolation and determination of microorganism functionality, gene expression, among others.
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