Erandi is one of the five researchers into drought resilience who was awarded the inaugural Vic Hub Drought Resilience Scholarship

Project title: Managing grape quality using plant growth-promoting microbes in biofertilizer.

This viticulture project seeks to identify soil microbes that influence plant growth and enhance plant resilience to stress such as drought and salinity. A key aspiration of the project is to identify microbes that could contribute to a future biofertiliser product, tailored for Australian conditions, that enhances stress resilience and supports plant production.

We interviewed Erandi to gain deeper insights into her research journey and its potential impact on Australian agriculture.

Q: When did you begin your research? When are you anticipating finishing?

A:I started my PhD January 2023. I am planning to finish it in 2026.

Q: How will your research help Australian farming and rural & regional communities prepare for drought, and be drought resilient?

A: My study is directly related to Austrian viticulture. Drought is one of the major issues most grape-growing farmers face. I am going to introduce a plant growth-promoting bacteria-based biofertilizer that enhances grapevine drought tolerance. Therefore, the new biofertilizer products developed through this project could directly benefit all grape growers and indirectly benefit wine producers, consumers, and the wine tourism and hospitality industries.

Q: What does the Vic Hub scholarship mean for your work?

A: It will aid with financial support, I plan to use it in future research work.

Because the scholarship is already available to me, I can use it whenever needed. For example, if I want to participate in an international conference, I would initially cover the expenses out of pocket and then reimburse myself with the grant. Since I already have the Vic Hub Scholarship, I can use it for my expenses and then reimburse myself, allowing me to retain the scholarship funds. In this way, I can continue to reuse the Vic Hub Scholarship throughout my PhD journey.

Q: What drew you to agriculture?

 A: I believe agriculture is the root of life. Currently, due to anthropogenic activities, agricultural-based food supply is under critical threat. We need to seek solutions. This is one example from my work.

Q: What’s a highlight for you so far in your project research?

 A: So far, I have isolated drought- and salinity-tolerant plant growth-promoting microorganisms. I have tested them in vitro and obtained amazing results. In the future, I need to formulate the isolated microorganisms into a biofertilizer and apply them in real-world scenarios.