Program

Conference Theme: “Cultivating Phytobiomes: From Systems Science to Agricultural Innovation“

Program (as of 14 October)

Tuesday 3 November

Day 1: Unlocking the Complexity of Phytobiomes
8:00 am – 9:00 amBreakfast & Check-in
9:00 amWelcome – Introductions & Conference Overview – Dusti Gallagher, Phytobiomes Alliance
9:05 amThe Honourable Robert Black, P. Ag. (Hon)
Senator for Ontario
9:20 amKickoff Plenary Lecture – Trevor Charles, University of Waterloo, CA
From field to greenhouse to barn: Exploring the phytobiome potential across Ontario’s diverse agricultural systems
10:05 amGround Truths Conversation – What Production Agriculture Needs from Phytobiomes Science
Dusti Gallagher, Phytobiomes Alliance and Jeff Barlow, Barlow Farms & Grain Farmers of Ontario, CA
11:05 amCoffee Break & Networking
Chair: Trevor Charles, University of Waterloo, CA
11:35 amTalk – Bridget Emmett, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, UK
Soil health, agri-environment schemes and policy evaluation and development
12:05 pmTalk – Stefan Sanow, University of California, Davis, US
RADIX: Deep-learning segmentation of root anatomical barriers enables high-throughput phenotyping of microbe-induced trait variation in Sorghum bicolor
12:25 pmPoster Flash Talks
– Diana Njuguna, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, US
Temporal dynamics of host genotypic effects on rhizosphere bacterial community structure during anthesis in dryland wheat in western Nebraska
– Jean-Baptiste Floc’h, University of Helsinki, FI
Environmental filtering, host selection, and anthropogenic disturbance jointly shape rhizosphere fungal communities across boreal forests
– Ashley Paulsen, Iowa State University, US
Linking root architecture to root-associated microbes using a plant-growth-promoting synthetic community
12:40 pmNetworking Lunch & Poster Viewing
Afternoon Chair: Gwyn Beattie, Iowa State University, US
1:55 pmTalk – Shengjing Shi, Bioeconomy Science Institute, NZ
A roadmap for plant-microbiome breeding to enhance plant stress tolerance
2:25 pmTalk – Rhea Amor Lumactud, Dalhousie University, CA
Recovery reveals domain-specific responses to a trait-guided synthetic bacterial consortium in the red clover rhizosphere
2:45 pmPoster Flash Talks
– Evan Mayer, University of Guelph, CA
Long-term cover cropping can increase microbial plant growth promotion potential in rhizosphere soils of subsequent cash crops
– Jeongyun Choi, Colorado State University, US
Host genetic background shapes rice leaf microbiome responses to loss of SWEET13-mediated susceptibility
– Natarajan Subramani, University College Dublin, IE
Can we breed oats for a microbiome linked to lower mycotoxin risk?
3:00 pmTalk – Alonso Favela, University of Arizona, US
Soils get slimy: Reimagining water use in agriculture through the power of microbes
3:20 pmPoster Flash Talks
– Mitchell Giebler, Colorado State University, US
Tracking spatiotemporal dynamics of Pantoea ananatis lineages within the rice phytobiome
– Hannah McMillan, Cornell University, US
Microbiota alter plant leaf epidermal properties at elevated temperature
3:30 pmCoffee Break & Networking
4:00 pmTalk – Steven Wakelin, Bioeconomy Science Institute, NZ
Biogeographic redistribution of Pinus radiata drives extensive taxonomic turnover while retaining a shared dominant root microbiome
4:20 pmPoster Flash Talks
– Ruby Sullan, University of Toronto Scarborough, CA
Nanoscale interactions and nanoplastic disruption of beneficial plant-microbe partnerships
– Katel Hallaf, INRS, CA
Native soil microbiome impacts bacterial inoculant establishment
4:30 pmTalk – Tanja Kostic, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, AT
Paving the way for microbiome biobanking: Integrating technology, standardization, data infrastructure and governance
4:50 pmWrap-up & Announcements
5:00 – 6:00 pmPoster Session (even numbers)
6:00 – 8:00 pmWelcome Reception – Queen’s Landing Hotel

Wednesday 4 November

Day 2: Exploring Connectivity within Phytobiomes Systems
8:00 – 9:00 amNetworking Breakfast
9:00 amWelcome, Announcements & Overview of Day 2
Dusti Gallagher, Phytobiomes Alliance
Morning Chair: Davide Bulgarelli, University of Dundee, UK
9:05 amPlenary Lecture – Kwang-Hyung Kim, Seoul National University, KR
Machine learning meets the field: Agro-climatic analytics for a changing climate
9:50 amTalk – Jan Leach, Colorado State University, US
Rice resistance genes shape leaf microbiome assembly and resilience
10:10 amPoster Flash Talks
– Candace Thompson, Solar One, US
Korean Natural Farming practices are dominated by a limited number of microbes and decrease fungal diversity
– Hicham Boussif-Forêt, Université Laval, CA
Persistence of microbial functional genes associated with soil health, induced by microbial inoculation: Comparison between organically and intensively managed soils
– Hannah Frank, Cornell University, US
Predicting arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in grapevines in the Finger Lakes
10:25 amTalk – Adrien Frémont, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, US
Cover crop exudate metabolomes drive rhizosphere microbiome assembly and function
10:55 amCoffee Break & Networking
11:25 amTalk – Livleen Kaur, The Pennsylvania State University, US
Unraveling phyllosphere microbiome dynamics associated with disease suppression in tomato
11:45 amPoster Flash Talks
– Hayden Hornick-Martyk, University of Guelph, CA
Sweet corn (Zea mays L. convar. saccharata var. rugosa)-associated microbiome responses to artificial drought in a long-term cover crop experiment
– Yen Ning Chai, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, US
Unraveling sorghum-microbiome interactions via root exudation across contrasting field environments
11:55 amAnnouncements & Group Photo
12:10 pm Networking Lunch & Poster Viewing
Afternoon Chair: Roland Wilhelm, Purdue University, US
1:25 pmTalk – David Sherman, Inria, FR
Computational microbial ecology in aid of agricultural transition and adaptation to climate risks
1:55 pmTalk – Janice Parks, University of Idaho, US
Fire-altered soil conditions mediate microbial inoculant effects on ponderosa pine establishment
2:15 pmIndustry Roundtable Discussion
Moderator: Charles Cowden, Sumitomo Biorational, US
– Natalie Breakfield, NewLeaf Symbiotics, US
– Vera Bonardi, Corteva, US
– Danielle Rose, Mastronardi Produce, CA
3:30 pmCoffee Break & Networking
4:00 pmTalk – Suzanne Fleishman, The Pennsylvania State University, US
Digging deeper: Controls on root-soil-biota interactions in perennial agroecosystems
4:20 pmTalk – Jason Wallace, University of Georgia, US
Harnessing biological nitrogen fixation on maize aerial roots
4:40 pmPoster Flash Talks
– David Liscombe, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, CA
The chemical language of the phytobiome: Using metabolomics to improve pest and disease management
– Nemanja Kuzmanovic, Julius Kühn Institute, DE
From pathobiome insights to biological control: A crown gall case study
– Lisa Carolin Bilz, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, AT
Natural soil microbiomes as a resource for improving nitrogen-use efficiency in wheat
4:55 pmWrap-up & Announcements
5:00 – 6:00 pmPoster Session (odd numbers)
6:30 pmDeparture for Gala Dinner
Early Career Recognitions and
Gala Dinner at The Hare Wine Co.
9:30 pmDeparture from Gala Dinner to Queen’s Landing Hotel

Thursday 5 November

Day 3: Translating Phytobiomes Science from Lab to Field
8:00 – 9:00 amNetworking Breakfast
9:00 amPoster Viewing
9:50 amWelcome & Overview of Day 3
Dusti Gallagher, Phytobiomes Alliance
Morning Chair: Terrence Bell, University of Toronto Scarborough, CA
10:00 amPlenary Lecture – Danica Lombardozzi, Colorado State University & NCAR, US
Terrestrial ecosystem responses and feedbacks to changing climate
10:45 amTalk – Nichole Ginnan, University of California, Riverside, US
Orchard management alters citrus root and rhizosphere microbiomes with functional consequences for plant performance
11:05 amTalk – Lauren Hemara, University of Toronto Scarborough, CA
Fit for purpose: Evaluation and evolution of agricultural bioinoculants across production landscapes
11:25 amCoffee Break & Networking
11:55 amTalk – Van Schepler-Luu, International Rice Research Institute, PH
Linkages between methane emissions, rhizosphere microbiome and bacterial blight resistance
12:25 pmTalk – Kara Reardon, University of Toronto Scarborough, CA
Compost teas: Can they enhance soil microbiomes across diverse agroecosystems?
12:45 pmBest Poster Awards & Announcements
1:00 pm Networking Lunch & Final Poster Viewing
Afternoon Chair: Natalie Breakfield, NewLeaf Symbiotics, US
2:15 pmTalk – Julia Kelliher, Michigan State University, US
STREAM-lining phytobiome research: Community-driven guidelines for data management and reuse
2:45 pmTalk – Kari Dunfield, University of Guelph, CA
Beyond the microbe: A conceptual framework for successful biological nitrogen fixation in cereals
3:05 pmTalk – Yinxiao Chen, University of Toronto Scarborough, CA
ORBIT: A root-on-chip platform for studying rhizobacterial colonization in controlled microenvironments
3:25 pmNavigating the Changing Workforce Landscape roundtable
Moderator: LaKisha Odom, FFAR, US
– Anastassia Khrouchtchova, Novo Nordisk Foundation, DK
– Nichole Ginnan, University of California, Riverside, US
– Adrien Frémont, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, US
– Kari Dunfield, University of Guelph, CA
4:25 pmConference Wrap-up & Closing Remarks
4:30 pmConference Concludes