Wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) is the world's second largest crop and Brazil has taken second place in wheat production in South America. However, productivity in this crop can be limited due to occurrence of some diseases, one of which, wheat blast, caused by the Magnaporthe grisea fungus, has caused large productivity losses that can reach 72% depending on the time of infection. With the expansion of wheat crops to other Brazilian regions such as the Midwest, the fungus has been settling in and causing larger damages, especially due to the abiotic conditions (air, water, sun, soil) that favor the development of the disease such as high temperatures and relative humidity. In addition, the measures to control the disease are ineffective and there are no varieties with effective levels of genetic resistance. In light of the above, and considering the polycyclic and explosive nature of the disease and the incomplete chemical protection provided by fungicides, we propose integrated management including biological control and the use of natural products as preventive measures.

As there are microorganisms that characteristically establish several symbiotic relationships with wheat plants, some potential biological control agents have already been identified in the attempt to control key plant pathogens. However, little is known about the antagonistic potential that the populations of microorganisms associated with wheat may offer against M. grisea, and there are few studies on the potential of extracts and plant essential oils to control the fungus. In addition, there is a need for the development of efficient methods to manage wheat blast in the field, using different approaches. One of them is the study and initial survey of the wheat microbiome through the second-generation sequencing, via the Ion Torrent platform, of the rhizospheric soils where wheat was planted in the states of São Paulo and Distrito Federal, aiming at identifying the microbial groups involved in the possible control of M. grisea.

With all of the above, it will be possible to survey the wheat microbiome for the first time. Based on such data, cultivatable bacteria will be simultaneously isolated from wheat's phylloplane, rhizosphere, and internal plant tissue, and assessed with regard to their potential to parasitize and reduce the incidence of the pathogen in wheat seeds and seedlings. In addition to bacterial parasitism against M. grisea, the project aims to identify new secondary metabolites from bacteria and actinobacteria, and evaluate their effects under controlled conditions in greenhouses. The general goal of the project is to use biological control and natural chemical control in the management of wheat blast.