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Selection and Evaluation of Food (Cereal and Legume) Crop Genotypes Tolerant to Low Nitrogen and Phosphorus Soils through the Use of Isotopic and Nuclear-Related Techniques
Closed for proposals
Project Type
Project Code
D15010CRP
1290Approved Date
Start Date
Expected End Date
Completed Date
9 May 2012Description
Low inherent soil nutrient status, particularly nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are widespread limitations for adequate crop production in many developing countries in tropical and subtropical regions. The cycle of unsustainable agriculture and soil fertility degradation in these areas can be disrupted by identifying and promoting the development of food (cereal and legume) crop genotypes with enhanced nutrient (N and P) use efficiency and greater productivity in these low fertility soils. This research programme seeks to develop technologies for identifying superior crop genotypes leading to enhanced nutrient (N and P) use efficiencies by major food cereal and grain legume crops. Further, this research work will initiate the exploitation of the identified crop lines in breeding programmes and development of improved management schemes. Isotopes, in particular 15N and 32P will be essential tools in the identification and exploitation of superior crop lines. The results of this research will provide improved knowledge and understanding of the processes involved, approaches, and plant genotypes to enhance crop performance in regions of inherent low soil fertility.
Objectives
To develop integrated crop, soil and nutrient management practices to increase crop production in marginal lands by identifying and promoting the development of food crop genotypes (cereals and legumes) with enhanced N and P use efficiency and greater productivity in marginal lands
Specific objectives
(i) to develop and validate screening protocols for plant traits that enhance N and P acquisition and utilization in major food cereal and legume crops grown in low fertility soils,
ii) to employ validated screening protocols including the use of isotopic tracer techniques and induced mutations to identify genotypes with superior N and P acquisition and/or utilization. This might include mutants identified for novel traits
iii) to assess the selected genotypes with traits for enhanced nutrient acquisition and/or utilization in selected cropping systems, including yield and productivity. This assessment could include long-term sustainability of soil fertility.
Impact
This CRP assisted Member States in their efforts to optimize crop yields and soil productivity in low N and P environments. This includes the development, evaluation validation, and harmonization of appropriate screening protocols for (i) plant root traits (architecture and morphology) associated with enhanced N and P uptake (ii) fractionation of soil N and P to understand the mechanisms of uptake from the different soil N and P pools. The genotypes of rice, common bean, maize, soybean and cowpea identified provide valuable resources for plant breeding programmes aimed at enhancing P and N use efficiency in crops and for framers to optimize crop productivity in low nutrient environments. Laboratory and field protocols for evaluation of root traits (architecture and morphology) contributing to enhanced N and P were developed in collaboration with Pennsylvania State University and available online (http://roots.psu.edu).The assessment of selected genotypes with enhanced different root architecture and morphology that explores nutrients from different soil depth under the field conditions is relevant for enhancing food security and the long-term sustainability of soil fertility. The CRP also helped to nature MSc and PhD students.
Relevance
Global climate change is likely to exacerbate plant abiotic stress in the coming decades by increasing water stress and by accelerating soil fertility degradation. To respond to this set of challenges, there is a need to develop agricultural systems with significantly greater productivity and resilience that at the same time use limited nutrient resources more efficiently. This CRP contributes to the Agency’s Subprogramme E1, Soil and Water Management and Crop Nutrition, Project 2.1.1.5, Integrated soil-water-plant approaches to enhance food production and biomass productivity, and is in line with the Major FAO’s Medium Term Plan and strategic objectives. Food security and environmental sustainability is a main initiative of the FAO to help improve crop yields through efficient utilization of nutrients, particularly nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in low fertility soils. The CRP supports the characterization of the plant-nutrition related traits of superior genotypes and to identify mechanisms for adaptation and high productivity of selected legumes and cereals to low N and P soils. It also helps build-up of competence in the use of isotopic techniques (stable N-15 and radioactive P-32) in the field as well as in the laboratories to obtain quantitative estimates on optimization of plant nutrient (N and P) uptake and utilization from fertilizers and soils. Overall, the CRP assists Member States in their efforts to optimize crop yields and soil productivity in low N and P environments.