Objective
Much of northern and western Europe, together with many upland areas elsewhere, is characterised by cool wet climatic conditions for most or part of the year. This severely limits the type and range of economically feasible agricultural activity in those regions. In particular, relatively few crops and systems are well adapted to such conditions, leading to diminution of opportunity in consistency, quantity and quality of plant yield, and to increased and inefficient use of fertilisers and other agro-chemicals. This, in turn, leads to reduced biodiversity and environmental risks such as those associated with agro-chemical pollution, run-off and leaching.
The Management Committee has identified five key areas that would benefit very considerably from further co-operation during Round II. These are all focused on the general objectives of enhancing the economic opportunities available to farmers in the cool wet regions of Europe.
1. Adaptation of thermophilic crops
The main climatic conditions inducing stress in the different cool and
wet regions of Europe need precise definition. This is necessary for a modelling approach to quantifying the relative contribution of specific identified metabolic or morphological restrictions to acceptable general adaptation in these crops. This should also permit identification of broad or narrowly adapted breeding material for contrasting European regions.
Certain fundamental questions still remain unanswered. Collaboration in Round I of the Action has shown that the stress induced by the combined impact of high light intensity and low temperature on the photosynthetic apparatus has previously been underestimated and required further investigation. The role of root development and functioning in these crops under cool and wet conditions is also still poorly understood. Furthermore, it has become evident that mildly cool periods are more common and are of much greater significance for crop growth and survival, than is severe cold, in most regions. This finding within the Action contrasts with the emphasis placed previously by researchers elsewhere on the study of the damaging effects of very low temperatures.
In order to advance understanding of these limiting factors and to transfer the technology into practice it is necessary to investigate both their physiological expression and genetic control at the molecular level. This will then require integration with practical breeding programmes. In the next two years, molecular markers for distinct physiological selection criteria will be identified. This will benefit from additional collaboration with groups working on adapted crops such as white clover (below) because of the similarities in the hardening process between cold sensitive and cold tolerant crops. Years 3 and 4 will then be concerned with the genetic analyses of germplasm, initial selection on the basis of identified criteria and preliminary testing of selected genotypes for their suitability in environmentally safe cropping systems. The collaborators will also be in a position to apply this knowledge to investigate adaptation of other thermophilic crops which may have potential for cool and wet regions.
Overwintering and spring growth of white clover
The present multisite research programme will continue in order to complete the data sets from all countries involved. These will be analysed and prepared for publication in an international journal with wide distribution. The information so far obtained will also be presented and discussed at a workshop devoted to the tolerance of forage legumes in low temperatures, held at the meeting of the European Grassland Federation in Italy, in September 1996.
The multisite programme is proving to be extremely valuable in revealing not only causal influences on tolerance of white clover of low temperature but also opportunities for additional investigations which would further enhance knowledge in this area. It is also producing information and material which can be used for the development of better adapted clover-based grassland systems.
. Nitrogen-use efficiency
Nitrogen is, arguably, the most important plant nutrient, liable to various and complex transformation processes in the soil and plant, whether it is of organic (biologically 'fixed') or inorganic origin. Its use in agriculture can also lead to pollution by leaching of excess quantities into various components of the environment. It therefore represents a significant cost both to farmers and the community. Because leaching occurs more readily and rapidly in wet conditions and active plant growth and nutrient uptake is slower at lower temperatures, management of the N economy is particularly important in Europe's cool wet regions.
One significant element revealed is the importance of plant genotype and its interaction with environment in determining efficiency of uptake and utilisation of N as a critical factor in optimising use of costly fertiliser and reducing leaching when combined with appropriate management. Ten of the countries signatory to COST 814 therefore has established a 'Working Group' on Nitrogen-use efficiency with the following initial objectives :
Identifying physiological and morphological plant characteristics which influence the ways in which crops adapt to, and make use of, various levels of applied nitrogen;
Assess variation in N use and uptake between varieties and ecotypes of arable crops and grassland species important in cool wet regions;
Assess genotype variation in efficiency of N uptake and use in relation to location and cropping system;
Develop screening techniques to identify N-efficient genotypes which could form the basis for breeding efficient maize and grass varieties in particular;
Identify molecular markers to be included in the selection procedure.
Small grain cereals and pseudo cereals
This group of minor crops are all considered as low input species with a high ecological value for cropping systems. They include neglected wheat species (Triticum spelta, T.dicoccum T monococcum), Buckwheat, Quinoa and Amaranth, which are of interest in many of the cooler, wet regions of Europe because of their potential adaptability and the opportunities that they offer as alternative high quality food and feedstuffs and also for specific purposes. Buckwheat, for example, although a crop of secondary importance, does well on poorer soils and has protein of excellent quality ; which probably accounts for its relatively widespread usage throughout the world. Quinoa, on the other hand, is an annual herb, native to the American highlands, which produces a grain which is comparable to buckwheat in its high nutritional quality, is gluten-free and is also capable of growing well in difficult conditions. There also seems to be plenty of scope for improvement by breeding. Amaranth is of similar origin and produces a grain which in taste, nutritional value and yield compares favourably with maize and other true cereals.
For all these crops a fairly wide range of genotypes is readily available for assessment, screening and selection, but additional collection, multiplication and evaluation will be needed. It is proposed initially to undertake physiological studies on crop development and establishment in cool wet conditions. Small seeded crops such as Quinoa can be very difficult to establish in the field even when seed quality is good. This will then lead to research aimed at quantifying the formative elements in crop yield, crop products, product quality and suitability for human and animal consumption. Information acquired in this work can then be used to exploit the available genetic resources in developing the crop/s for the cooler wet regions of Europe.
Alternative fibre crops
Crops grown, or capable of growing, in many European regions could provide fibres for use in a number of industrial sectors, particularly the pulp, paper, board and car industries. The replacing of man-made fibre composites, plastics, and metal, with composites incorporating fibres from crops represents a smaller but more lucrative market. Completely new applications for crop-derived plant fibres may also be identifiable. Fibre crops are also a means of diversification with the potential to take up appreciable areas of land while, at the same time, preserving agricultural land for future food production should that become necessary. In addition, they also have environmental advantages over forestry and man-made fibre sources.
Although many of these crops are clearly of much general interest for European agriculture, they may provide a particular opportunity for those regions with cool and wet climates where farmers are limited in choice of enterprise. In many such areas development and harvesting of discrete plant products such as grain can be problematic because of weather and climate, yet conditions can be ideal for development of the high quality biomass which provides the basis of plant fibre production. For this reason, nine of the countries (Annex 1) presently in COST 814 wish to enhance their national research programmes by international collaboration within the Action. Targets of this research include quantity and quality of fibre, harvest risks, production costs and environmental pollution. For many applications there is a need for reliable sources of the short fibres more typical of crops to augment the long fibres produced by trees. Several perennial grasses, including reed canary grass, miscanthus and other fibre crops, especially hemp, come into this category and have obvious advantages in climates naturally conducive to grass growth. The co-operation in COST 814 pay particular attention to development and adaptation of plant material for cool and wet climates, with reduced content of the minerals harmful for fibre processing, with high fibre quality and with high efficiency of use of fertilisers. Integrative management practices will be developed.
Members of this Working Group also recognise the interdisciplinary nature of the effort required to achieve success in new crops and enterprises and the need to ensure adequate appraisal of proposed systems from crop development to fibre processing and product development.
During Round I, the main emphasis has been to develop active international collaborations in two major areas of opportunity, and to develop a better understanding in two others, with a view to elaborating additional co-ordinated research programmes. As a result, highly active working groups have been established on a) thermophilic crops, which are currently not well adapted to these regions, and on b) white clover, the main forage legume in temperate pasture ecosystems. In addition, workshops have been held on "Nitrogen Cycling and Leaching in Cool and Wet Regions of Europe", "Crop Adaptation to Cool, Wet Climates" (2), and on "Alternative Oil Seed and Fibre Crops for Cool and Wet Regions of Europe". A number of position papers from the thermophilic crops and white clover working groups are in preparation.
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Coordinator
1049 Brussels
Belgium
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