Microbes

Improving soil health is pivotal for maintaining the quality and productivity of Cyprus soils and the sustainability of Cyprus agriculture. Microorganisms are, and will continue to be, a valuable tool for sustainable development and the corner stone of healthy soils.

The Soil Microbial Ecology Group of AGRICYGEN aims to explore the potential of native microbial resources for providing solutions to societal challenges like food security in a climate-changing environment. Thereby, the isolation, characterization, and storage of native soil microbial genetic resources is a prerequisite for the development of a functional microbial-based toolbox that will help us to achieve efficient and environmentally-friendly feed and livestock production.

Working across the whole country and implementing high-throughput metagenomic approaches, the ultimate goal is to improve our understanding on soil microbial assemblies and their ecology in different agricultural ecosystems under the harsh arid conditions of Cyprus. Understanding how environmental shifts will alter the interaction between soil microbial communities and crop performance will help us to develop novel, environmentally friendly and sustainable agricultural systems that will support both crop and animal production in the country.