We use cookies on our website. Some are necessary for the operation of the website. You can also allow cookies for statistical purposes. You can adjust the data protection settings or agree to all cookies directly.
Data Protection Declaration
Imprint
Setup of a screening system for measuring nitrogen fixation capacity of legume genetic resources
Project
Project code: JKI-ZL-08-3201
Contract period: 01.03.2015
- 30.06.2020
Purpose of research: Basic research
Legumes play a fundamental role in sustainable and resource efficient (resilient) agriculture. They form a symbiotic relationship with bacteria, which renders them capable of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) from the atmosphere. In this way they meet their own N requirements, but also enrich the soil for succeeding or accompanying crops. In organic farming legumes are the primary N source. In conventional agriculture their cultivation has been largely replaced by the use of fertilizers. Yet the industrial production of N fertilizers is one of the most energy consuming inputs to current agriculture. For this reason the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture has identified the reduction of environmental impacts, especially by N fertilization, as well as research and development for strengthening the cultivation and use of legumes and their ecosystem services as important research areas. To-date, BNF capacity has hardly been considered in plant breeding. It is a trait difficult to determine and requires to consider both the plant and its interaction with the symbiotic bacteria. A promising approach for assessing BNF capacity in legumes may be to determine the abundance of the mainly atmospheric 14N isotope in the plant relative to that of the 15N isotope, the latter of which is characteristic for soil-borne nitrogen. This so-called natural abundance method has hardly been used for determining genotypic differences in BNF capacity so far. The project aims at developing and optimising a greenhouse-based BNF screening system suited to determine genotypic differences of legumes (crops, genebank accessions, crop wild relatives), as well as to assess the transfer of fixed nitrogen to other non-legumous crop plants.
Section overview
Subjects
- Plant Breeding
Framework programme
Funding programme
Excutive institution
Institute for Breeding Research on Agricultural Crops (JKI-ZL)
