Project

NUE-CROPS - Improving nutrient efficiency in wheat, oilseed rape, potato and maize to reduce negative environmental impacts of crop production

The project NUE-CROPS develops knowledge, models and tools required to breed/select Nutrient Use Efficient (NUE) CROPS and to integrate NUE-crops with agronomic innovations to significantly reduce fertiliser use and associated negative environmental impacts of crop production, while maintaining or improving crop yield and quality.

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Objectives

The strategic concept/objectives of NUE-CROPS are to support the:

  • Development of NUE-VARIETIES of 4 major European crops (wheat, oilseed rape, potato, maize) for different marcroclimatic regions. This will be based on:
    - classical QTL identification methods;
    - association genetics approaches;
    - gene expression profiling (and where appropriate proteomic, metabolomic analyses and/or 
      analytical transformation analyses);
    - whole plant physiological studies. 
R&D activities will focus on the 4 major crops species, but deliverables from studies with model plants/crops (Arabidopsis, Brassica rapa, barley) will be used as genetic bridges for the genetically complex crops wheat and oilseed rape.
  • Integration of NUE-CROPS with innovative management approaches (e.g. improved fertilisation regimes, rotational designs, winter cover crop use and, tillage systems). This will be based on:
    - field experiments to evaluate the impact of NUE crops under contrasting agronomic scenarios;
    - the construction/validation of models/algorithms for nutrient budgeting/precision farming systems.
  • To establish an efficient training and dissemination programme aimed at rapid exploitation and application of project deliverables in commercial crop production.

More information

For more information please visit the NUE-CROPS website.