3) Ms. Tzila Vikniansky

Soil salinization is a major agricultural challenge in arid regions. While crops have a hard time coping with salinity stress, native wild plants that grow naturally in saline soil have evolved various mechanisms to survive such harsh conditions. The Brassicaceae genus Sisymbrium is found across Israel in two main species: Sisymbrium officinale which is found mainly in the northern part of Israel, and Sisimbrium erucarya, found in the country’s arid south. Through common garden experiments in the greenhouse, we found that Sisimbrium erucarya is better adapted to salt stress than Sisymbrium officinale. This adaptation might be driven by bacteria recruited to help cope with salt stress. Since it has been shown that the root microbiome can vary with genotype, we hypothesize that harsh environments drive co-evolution between the plant and its root microbiome. To test this hypothesis, we will compare root microbiome assembly between these vicarious species. Further, to understand how native microbes protect plants from salt stress, we constructed a Synthetic Community (SynCom) representing the natural root microbiome found in the plants growing by the Dead Sea. We will examine how the SynCom assembles in the root of both species under salt stress and screen the collection for protective effects. By exploring native plant microbiomes from native soils, we anticipate to find mechanisms that evolved to provide mutual benefits to the plant and its resident microbes.