The lecture 'Microorganisms in the life of plants' as part of the 'Science 0+' festival, featuring SFSCA RAS scientist Svetlana Ferapontova, brought together schoolchildren from four schools in the city and region at the SB RAS Exhibition Center. The lecturer from the Laboratory of Biological Control of Phytophages and Phytopathogens SFSCA RAS talked about plants and seeds almost as if they were children. By the end of the talk, when questions started pouring in, the comparisons like “little one”, “child”, “plant protection scientist as a pediatrician” became clear.
Svetlana Alexandrovna, answering a question about choosing a profession, admitted that she wanted to become a pediatrician, but while taking exams at both the Medical Institute and NSAU and having to choose between two exams scheduled on the same day, she decided to go for the “bird in the hand”.
"When we buy groceries, we don't realize how much work goes into them," Svetlana Alexandrovna said at the beginning of the lecture and showed slides of production facilities. It turns out that the making of a loaf of bread involves not just scientists, but agronomists, machine operators, and many others whose work goes unnoticed. The harvested grain is sent to flour mills, and from there – to bakeries. Grapes and various fruits go through a similar path, but their journey in the field takes years longer compared to grains.
As a result of their life processes, plant roots release a complex mixture of various chemical compounds (exudates) into the surrounding soil. They help the plant “communicate” with the microorganisms that surround the plants in both the underground and aboveground environments, regulating the life of the plants.
For example, soil microorganisms turn certain compounds into forms that plants can absorb, which are taken up by the roots and travel through the plant's 'body,' helping it grow and develop. The same thing happens in humans when they take vitamins. Scientists are looking for microorganisms in the soil that are helpful for plants. And interestingly, some of them produce protease – the same enzyme that is made in the human body to digest food.
Seed material is really important, so it needs to be watched closely and studied, to make sure sick seeds don’t end up in the soil. It turns out that just like we have flu outbreaks, plants can have epidemics too, like fusarium, which can wipe out half or even a whole field. To prevent diseases, the level of seed contamination with pathogens is checked right from the stage of preparing the seed material. If the seeds aren’t healthy, the field can be lost. Based on the results, medicine is prescribed – a fungicide. Just like in the human world.