Descripción del proyecto
Métodos novedosos para mejorar el uso del agua y el nitrógeno
Las sequías son cada vez más frecuentes y amenazan la seguridad alimentaria mundial. Entretanto, la fertilización excesiva con nitratos contamina las aguas y la producción de fertilizantes está relacionada con un gran consumo de energía y altas emisiones de carbono. Por lo tanto, es fundamental optimizar el uso del agua y el nitrógeno en la agricultura. El cloruro (Cl-), considerado en el pasado como un ion tóxico, ha sido descrito recientemente como un macronutriente beneficioso para el crecimiento vegetal. El proyecto financiado con fondos europeos ChlorPlant propone una combinación pionera de métodos aplicados en plantas de tomate. El objetivo es mejorar el conocimiento fundamental sobre cómo el Cl- regula los efectos de la gestión hídrica sobre el crecimiento, la fotosíntesis, la rigidez y la resistencia a la sequía en las plantas.
Objetivo
Drought greatly reduces crop productivity and global food security, and is becoming more frequent and severe under climate change. Excessive nitrate fertilization is the main source of water pollution, and due to the enormous energy and carbon cost of industrial fertilizer production, is a major cause of global warming. Therefore, it is critical to understand how to optimize the use of water and nitrogen for plant production and crop yield. Chloride (Cl−), although traditionally considered a toxic ion for agriculture, has emerged as a beneficial macronutrient for plant growth due to its roles in water relations and photosynthesis, recently discovered by the host group. The current project proposes a unique integration of approaches (from molecular to ecophysiological) in tomato, a model crop of great economic value, with the aim to enhance fundamental knowledge of how Cl− modulates the effects of water management on plant development, photosynthesis, turgor maintenance, yield and drought resistance. Our major objectives are to provide new knowledge on i) the role of Cl− homeostasis on plant development, and ii) its relevance on plant improvement of water- and nitrogen-use efficiency, and iii) transfer this knowledge to the practical management of a crop. These objectives will integrate state-of-the-art process-based models of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance into a mechanistic whole-plant model that includes frontline phenotyping. This novel and multidisciplinary project will be carried out by an applicant with strong scientific expertise in plant molecular physiology and agriculture, who perfectly matches the proposed project, and it will be implemented in a laboratory with an internationally recognized excellence in the study of crop water stress and precision agriculture. This combination provides a unique scientific platform for the research training of the applicant and the development of frontline research in Plant Sciences and Agriculture.
Ámbito científico
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencesnutrition
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencespollution
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculture
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbotany
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinador
28006 Madrid
España