Our PhD-student Dario X. Ramirez from NIOO-KNAW is currently sampling native and agricultural soils in the north of Ecuador (potato's center of origin). This campaign is part of his thesis in which he studies the differences between wild and domesticated potato in terms of root microbiome (composition and changes under stress) and identify microbes which play a beneficial role to potato health and growth (MiCRop WP2).

During his first sampling round, he collected native and agricultural soils from 14 sites across the Ecuadorian Andes to study their effect on late blight resistance. Late blight is a serious potato disease caused by the microbe Phytophthora infestans. His results showed that potatoes grown on native soil were much less impacted by late blight than potatoes grown on agricultural soil. To continue exploring how native soils enhance resistance to P. infestans, Dario collected both native and agricultural soils from 2 sites chosen from the previous campaign. He will then test these soils with a bacterial synthetic community of 17 strains from native soil (Native SynCom). Dario says he is expecting exciting results early next year.