Objective "In natural and managed ecosystems such as agricultural fields, plants seldom grow alone, rather, they interact with individuals that belong to the same or different plant species. In an agricultural field, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants interact with weedy species such as Alopecurus myosuroides (black-grass), and others. Wheat-weed interactions are detrimental to the crop and can lead to substantial yield loss. Gaining a better understanding of these interactions in particular belowground interactions is critical to develop wheat that can be grown under sustainable conditions. The main objectives for this proposal are (1) to establish whether roots from wheat can display different growth patterns in the presence of roots from weed species independently from resources availability, (2) to test whether root exudates contain a signal involved in root-root interactions and to possibly identify the specific compounds detected by the crop, and (3) to identify mechanisms of root interspecific interactions by studying root gene expression profiles and identifying potential regulatory genes and response pathways. A successful outcome of the described research would provide significant additional momentum to developing the root-root interaction theme into broader investigation including other rhizosphere interactions. Building a more complete model for below-ground interactions will be of interest for both ecological and agricultural research." Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystemsagricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculture Programme(s) FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) FP7-PEOPLE-2009-RG - Marie Curie Action: "Reintegration Grants" Call for proposal FP7-PEOPLE-2010-RG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MC-IRG - International Re-integration Grants (IRG) Coordinator THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Address Trinity lane the old schools CB2 1TN Cambridge United Kingdom See on map Region East of England East Anglia Cambridgeshire CC Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Renata Schaeffer (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window EU contribution No data
