Switchgrass Rhizosphere Microflora and the Effects of Nitrogen and Cultivar on Community Structure.

Biofuel production using native perennial grasses such as switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) has potential to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil and curtail greenhouse gas emissions. Switchgrass can also provide significant ecosystem services, such as nutrient loss reduction and carbon sequestration. Best management practices (BMPs) for switchgrass fertility are being established on a regional basis, yet little work has been done to examine the intersection of soil fertility with soil biology in switchgrass-for-biofuel plantings. As an emerging area of research, the first step is to identify communities of microorganisms that reside in the switchgrass rhizosphere, using next generation metagenomic methods. This work seeks to identify bacterial and fungal communities in the switchgrass rhizosphere and examines the effect of nitrogen and cultivar on community structure at several locations in Minnesota.