Improving nutrient use efficiency through crop breeding: preliminary results from the NUE-CROPS project

摘要

The NUE-CROPS project is an EU FP7 project with the aim of utilizing expertise in crop breeding and genomics to reduce the environmental impact of crop production while maintaining crop yields. A field trial comparing eight varieties of wheat (four long-straw and four-short straw) under five different fertility management treatments, and two crop protection treatments (organic and conventional), was established at Newcastle University's Nafferton Farm in 2009. Preliminary results indicate a significant difference in above-ground plant biomass partitioning when long- and short-straw varieties are compared. Short-straw varieties have a higher percentage of their above-ground biomass in the ears at GS61. Agronomic efficiency (AE, grain yield per kg added fertilizer N) was significantly higher forNPK treatments compared to compost treatments; however, alternative measures of AE would be more appropriate where N is supplied in an organic form. For both NPK treatments, short-straw varieties had higher AEthan long-straw varieties.