ITCER — Grassland Biomes, Metabolomes, and Biomass Production

Project: Interactions between Plant Diversity, Grassland Productivity and Fungal Biomes in Rural Areas of West Kenya (NACOSTI/P/22/22356)

Climate change and land-use intensification are reshaping ecosystems and increasing the risk of emerging and endemic plant diseases. At the same time, plastic pollution is becoming a growing concern in rural environments, leading to the accumulation of microplastics in agricultural soils. These combined pressures threaten food security and the ecological stability of production landscapes in equatorial Africa.

This project investigates the interactions between soil mycobiomes, soil-dwelling organisms, plant diversity, and grassland productivity across differently managed experimental plots at the ITCER site in Ng’iya, Siaya County, Western Kenya. Particular attention is given to fungal taxa that antagonize plant pathogens and to species that act as indicators of plastic exposure.

The core objectives are (1) to improve understanding of the links between soil biodiversity, vegetation structure, and productivity, and (2) to isolate fungal strains that produce bioactive secondary metabolites, potentially serving as lead compounds for the development of antifungal agents in human, animal, and crop health. In addition, selected fungal species will be used to assess the presence and ecological impact of microplastics in soil systems.

The study contributes to the establishment of long-term biodiversity and soil health monitoring at the ITCER experimental site and complements the broader Siaya County research framework.

Research authorized by NACOSTI.

Supported by the Government of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, through project funding from Tübingen–Hohenheim with a focus on Africa (Leads: Andreas Schweiger and Katja Tielbörger).