Endophytes Diversity in Chia Seed (Salvia hispanica) in Kenya
Board Location: #159
Discipline: Biological Sciences
Subcategory: Plant Research
Session: 1
Jasira Jzar - Howard University
Co-Author(s): Mary Simiyu Egerton University, Njoro Kenya; Joseph Mafurah Egerton University, Njoro Kenya; Joseph Ogendo Egerton University, Njoro Kenya; Anne Osano, , Bowie State University, Bowie Maryland.
Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) is a nutrient-dense crop with the potential to become a staple crop in Kenya due to its high protein content. It is cultivated in various regions of Kenya and is utilized worldwide. This study aims to increase reliance on chia plants by identifying the diversity of endophytes within the chia plant. Endophytes are microorganisms found in most vascular plants, which play a significant role in a plant’s resilience to climate change and in fighting pathogens. By isolating and identifying endophytes and testing their capacity to promote plant growth, chia crop production can be enhanced, and chia seeds can be utilized as a staple crop in Kenya to combat food insecurity.To test the hypothesis that chia plants harbor identifiable endophytes that promote plant growth, flowering chia plants were sterilized using distilled water, ethanol, and sodium hypochlorite. They were then separated into leaves, stems, and roots, macerated, and plated in serial dilutions ranging from 10^-1 to 10^-5 on both potato dextrose agar and nutrient agar for the growth of fungi and bacteria, respectively. The plates were incubated at 28°C for 2 weeks and at 37°C for 48-72 hours, respectively. Subsequently, the bacterial and fungal endophytes grown were identified through morphological and biochemical characterization. After characterization, we assessed the ability of the endophytes to promote plant growth by testing their capacity to fix nitrogen and solubilize phosphate. This was done by plating them on Jensen’s medium and Pikovskaya’s medium, respectively. Twenty-two bacteria and twelve fungal endophytes, which were morphologically distinct, were isolated from various parts of the chia plant. Based on the morphological characteristics of the fungi isolated, six different fungal endophytes were identified. Among these, one endophyte found in the roots, identified as Aspergillus, exhibited a phosphorus solubilizing capability of 8.3%. Future research will include further identification of the isolated endophytes using DNA sequencing and comprehensive testing of the application of these endophytes by producing and applying them to chia seeds, which have the capacity to solubilize phosphorus.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): Funder Acknowledgements:I would like to thank Dr. Joseph Mafurah, Ms. Mary Siyimu, and the faculty and staff at Egerton University who aided in my research. The research was funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates, REU: Training Globally Engaged Undergraduates in Food Security Research in Kenya: A Focus on Tropical Food Crops, as the Key to Feeding the World. (Award No. 2150005).
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Anne Osano, aosano@bowiestate.edu
Role: I helped designed the project, carried out the lab experiment, as well as did the analyses on the data collected from the experiment