Award details

Nitrogen use efficiency in forage grasses and oats

Reference	BBS/E/W/00003131D
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Michael Abberton
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Professor Michael Humphreys, Professor Athole Marshall, Professor Leif Skot, Dr Kathleen Webb, Dr Rattan Yadav
Institution	Aberystwyth University
Department	IBERS
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	682,640
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/2008
End date	31/03/2012
Duration	48 months

Abstract

Here we extend the N cycle to the uptake of N by other components of the sustainable land-use system, two important options of which are uptake by a forage grass or by a cereal, either as companion or successional species. The cereal species will be oats, which has high nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). We will seek improved understanding of the genetic control of NUE in particular through use of advanced phenotyping methods and QTL mapping in parallel with transcriptomic approaches. Candidate genes will be validated in a range of materials. Genes for improved NUE are required to improve crop sustainability requiring reduced need for supplementary fertiliser input and thereby decreased impact of nitrate pollution on water quality. Improving the NUE of crops is an important target for sustainable land use, enabling reduced fertiliser applications and environmental losses of nitrogen. Nitrogen is available to plants both as mineral (NH4+ and NO3- ) and, particularly under low input conditions, organic forms of N. Genetic variation both for nitrogen uptake and use has been identified in ryegrass and will also be sought from fescue. Similarly, considerable genetic variation exists for response of oats to nitrogen application. A better understanding of the genes determining the NUE of different forms of N will assist in the marker-assisted selection of genetic material for sustainable systems

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Genes & Developmental Biology (GDB)
Research Topics	Crop Science, Plant Science
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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