SESSION
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Wed, May 20, 2026
Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort & Casino, Celebrity Foyer
Biopriming as an Emerging Dryland Ecosystem Restoration Technology
Restoring degraded dryland ecosystems is becoming more challenging due to modern land-use changes and shifting seasonal weather patterns. Simultaneously, traditional restoration methods such as broadcast seeding are experiencing increasing failure rates. A critical yet overlooked component of dryland ecosystems is the soil microbiome, which plays essential roles in ecosystem functioning, including plant-soil feedbacks. As foundational taxa in biocrusts, cyanobacteria have specialized functions, such as nutrient capture and extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) production, that contribute to soil fertility, stability, and moisture-holding capacity, thereby helping overcome restoration bottlenecks. To explore microbial contributions to restoration, we are developing laboratory methods to test the effects of dryland soil cyanobacteria on plant seed germination. Biopriming experiments were conducted using three cyanobacterial genera selected for their varying capabilities to capture nutrients and produce EPS. These were applied to plant species with diverse life histories and seed characteristics. Biopriming resulted in mixed responses, ranging from no effect to inhibitory effects on germination. Further laboratory method development and microbial-plant species screening are needed to advance biopriming technology and identify the underlying mechanisms that influence microbial-plant seed associations to improve restoration success in drylands.