We are taking part in a large scale EU funded collaborative project entitled ‘NUE-CROPS‘ that will investigate improving nutrient efficiency in major European food, feed and biofuel crops to reduce the negative environmental impact of crop production. In particular we will be investigating the potential of improving nitrogen use efficiency in wheat by studying wheat directly but also through using barley as a model.
Winter-barley is an ideal crop for identifying QTL and genes related to nitrogen-use efficiency, since varieties used for malting and feed have already been selected to suit contrasting fertilisation regimes. Varieties for malting have to be produced with lower N-input levels to achieve the desired processing quality, while N-inputs in feed barley are not restricted by quality demands. Winter barley varieties selected for malting have been shown to have similar Nitrogen uptake efficiency (Nit-UpE), but higher Nitrogen utilisation efficiency (Nit-UtE) compared to feed varieties with Nit-UtE being linked to characteristics such as small leaves, high tillering, prolonged development (late ear emergence), high grain numbers and small grains.
We will be trialling a range of winter varieties at different nitrogen regimes building on the association genetics approaches and data derived from the ongoing BBSRC sponsored LINK project Association Genetics of Elite UK Barley (AGOUEB). Results from these trials will then be applied to later trails using similar approaches in winter wheat which will also relate to the findings of the ongoing Greengrain LINK project. Other work at the James Hutton Institute within the NUE-CROPS project includes investigations into improving nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiency in potato by Philip White.
