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 - D1.50.10


Objective:

The overall objective of this CRP is to develop integrated crop, soil and nutrient management practices to increase crop production in marginal lands by identifying and promoting the development of food (cereal and legume) crop genotypes with enhanced nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) use efficiency and greater productivity in low fertility soils. The specific objectives of this project are (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.

Activities:

The first Research Co-ordination Meeting was held in October 2006 in Vienna. A one-day workshop was organized at the Agency's Laboratory at Seibersdorf to (i) brief the participants on the laboratory activities related to the use of isotope techniques to quantify nutrient dynamics and nutrient efficiency (ii) discuss data analysis and interpretation of data related to isotopic dilution experiments. Ten research contract holders from Burkina Faso, Brazil, Cameroon, China Peoples Republic, Cuba, Ghana, Malaysia, Mexico, Mozambique and Sierra Leone, five Agreement Holders from Australia (UWA), Benin (WARDA), Kenya (TSBF-CIAT), Nigeria (IITA), France (INRA), and two Technical Contractors from Germany (University of Hanover) and USA (University of Pennsylvania) attended the meeting. All the participants presented reports on the characterization of the environment, experimental design and past experiments on the subject area. The specific research objectives were revised to accurately reflect the discussions during the RCM. Agreement was reached on common experimental protocols, techniques and standard terminology. Detailed work plans were established for future research activities in each participating country and in line with the project objectives.

The second research coordination meeting (RCM) was successfully organised in Morelia, Mexico from 21 to 25 April 2008. The third RCM is proposed to be held during the 1st quarter of 2010 in one of the following countries in Africa: Ghana, Cameroon and Mozambique.

Participants:

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Reports:

Project Officer:

Joseph Adu-Gyamfi