Work package 3: Novel agroecosystem management strategies and tools
Description
A subset of rotations, cultivar, water and nutrient management practices identified in work package 1 and prioritized through consultations with partners and stakeholders will be tested in work package 3 using contrasting genotypes provided by work package 2. These innovative agroecosystem management strategies and tools will be developed and tested under different combinations with a special focus on approaches that are expected to promote below-ground interactions. This work package will investigate the diversity and functioning of roots/rhizosphere microbiomes and their interactions with the plant, notably (i) in rotations with legumes (in bread wheat and potato), (ii) through growing mixtures of crop genotypes (in durum wheat) or (iii) by applying microbial inoculants containing combinations of strains of bacteria including endophytic bacteria (e.g. Pseudomonas or Bacillus) and fungi (e.g. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) or Trichoderma), with fertilizer additives and placement strategies (in wheat and potato). On-station experiments will be conducted in the context of both conventional and organic farming conditions, as well as through the implementation of reduced tillage practices and conservation agriculture systems. This will result in a selection of management innovations to be tested on-farm in a broader range of pedo-climatic conditions (work package 5). Work package 3 will also contribute to refining DSS that are most promising for improving resource efficiency in crops, being based on "real-time" remote-sensing and models incorporating genotype-dependent information.
Objectives
- Improve crop performance of bread wheat exposed to combined but variable limitations of water and N (or N and P) by including various approaches used in conventional, organic or conservation agriculture (reduced tillage, organic fertilizers, rotation with legumes) and other approaches (microbial inoculants, refinement of decision support tools), and thereby facilitate the exchange of knowledge between the organic and conventional sector (Tasks 3.1 and 3.2)
- Improve crop performance of durum wheat exposed to combined but variable limitations of water and N by using crop genotype mixtures and refinement of decision support tools (Task 3.2)
- Improve crop performance of potato exposed to combined but variable limitations of water and nutrients (P or N) by rotation with legumes and microbial inoculants (Tasks 3.1 and 3.2)
- Improve our understanding of the interactions between the most effective crop management practices (rotational design, tillage practices, microbial inoculants, genotype mixtures) and genotypes that improve nutrient use efficiency and drought stress tolerance in the target crops (bread wheat, durum wheat, potato) as well as to improve our understanding on below- and above-ground interactions associated with nutrient use efficiency and drought tolerance in the target crops (Task 3.2)
- Evaluate / select management strategies considering beneficial below-/above-ground interactions as well as the feasibility to implement practices that enhance the field performance of the target crops (Task 3.3)
Key results and messages
- Formulation development resulted in improved shelf-life of the formulated microorganisms, e.g. the formulated microbials in Minigran® had a shelf-life of up to 6 months at room temperature.
- The Minigran® formulation developed by partners of the project permitted the establishment and the persistence of certain strains in the root system of potato in the field.
- The tested microbial inoculants could be interesting to support improvement of productivity and/or quality of bread wheat and potatoes.
- The inoculation with specific consortia of microbes lowered the number of tubers exhibiting tuber blemishes. However, no drought-protective effect was observed.
- In wheat, drought-protective effects were observed with soil hydrogel conditioners in combination with microbial inoculants. Ammonium fertilization in combination with microbial inoculation, led to alleviation of drought stress, whereas nitrate fertilization did not have such an effect.
- In potato, soil microbial inoculants could improve yield in some cases, but not every year and not on all varieties.
- Legume pre-crops did not have a strong impact on N acquisition in the subsequent wheat crop.
- Soybean pre-crops reduced yield losses due to nitrogen stress. Rye pre-crops lowered the losses caused by drought.
- Cultivars with different performance against abiotic stresses have been identified. Their relative performances are directly interacting with the tested environment in the trials.
Resources
Practice abstracts and training materials
- Zenodo.org: How to use SolACE's microbial consortia formulated with DCM Minigran® technology in the field
- Zenodo.org: Mycorrhizal fungi – How to produce your own bio-fertilizer
- Zenodo.org: Potato resistance to water and nitrogen stress: beneficial effects of rye and soybean pre-crops
- YouTube.com: Sampling method for field trials in Durum wheat genotype mixtures in the SolACE project
- Zenodo.org: Quantification of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi by quantitative PCR
Journal articles
- sciencedirect.com: A review on the plant microbiome: Ecology, functions, and emerging trends in microbial application
- academic.oup.com: miCROPe 2019 – emerging research priorities towards microbe-assisted crop production
- sciencedirect.com: Nitrogen benefits of ten legume pre-crops for wheat assessed by field measurements and modelling
Work package leaders
- Dr. Angela Sessitsch, AIT, Work package leader
- Brice Dupuis, AGROSCOPE, Work package co-leader