The evil twin: Exploration of below ground microbes

Weedy rice is the twin sister of cultivated rice but with some challenging properties. Weedy rice shatters its grains much earlier before the harvesting time, leading to a massive loss in the field. Weedy rice also has better efficiency in absorbing nutrients from the field and competes aggressively with cultivated rice.

My research aims to investigate on the below ground microbes in cultivated and weedy rice. Better understanding of microbial communities in both plants can help in weedy rice control and management.