Objective
The objective of the present proposal is to evaluate a new crop (i'achyrhizus ahipa) as a potential altemative to other less environmentally friendly crops used at present as sources of proteins and carbohydrates. The novelty lies in the crop itself, which is an efficient N2-fixing legume, pest-resistant, and tolerant to drought conditions which makes this new crop ideal in a sustainable agricultural system. The objective will be fulfilled by studying the potential yield under different environmental conditions, the N2-fixation efficiency, tuber and seed protein and carbohydrate composition and quality, and seed oil content using different accessions and interspecific hybrids. The results will be compared with other high-input crops in which present production of raw materials is being based in order to offer a low cost altemative of carbohydrates/proteins. F the different tuber-forrning legumes, P. Ahipa is at present the only cultivated one which can be grown under European conditions. With its origin in Andean Valleys being formerly cultivated by the Inca civilization, it was thought to be extinct until it was found by botanical expeditions to the Andean region of Bolivia and Northem Argentina. Little is known of the detailed protein composition of the tubers, but recent studies of a related species, P. Erosus, have shown the presence of two major glycoproteins which together account for over 70% of the total soluble proteins. These proteins are closely related to each other and appear to belong to the papain class of cysteine proteinases. Im addition, a minor protein corresponding to only 2-3% of the soluble protein fraction was found to correspond to a Kunitz-type protease inhibitor. Another important product from P. Ahipa are the seeds which contain high protein concentration, oil, and compounds with insecticidal action (rotenone). Plant resistance to pests apparently come from its content in the amino acid L-canavanine and rotenone. Thus, a variety of products (proteins, starch, insectides) may become available by adopting a crop with several ecological and economical advantages such as reduced need for synthetic fertilizers and insecticides that would decrease the negative impact of such agricultural practices on the environrnent and improve the fragile farm economy by reducing input requirements. The proposal fully comply with the objectives of the work programme on identification and analysis of crops for non-food uses (4.3.2. Biomass production) by providing a research work on the possibilities of a new source of proteins, carbohydrates and oil. Additionally, the overall aims are consistent with EU policy on adopting sustainable agriculture systems for reducing the ecological impact of agriculture and reducing the production costs. The aim of the project is to study the potential of P. Ahipa for the production of proteins and carbohydrates, the characterisation of the products quality and yield, and an initial assessment (comparison) of the new crop with other traditional sources of proteins and carbohydrates. The effect of different environments, management practices (seed inoculation, flower pruning) on yield and product composition will be considered to have a full approach to the real potential value of the crop.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture sustainable agriculture
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture grains and oilseeds oilseeds
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules carbohydrates
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture grains and oilseeds legumes
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture horticulture vegetable growing root crops
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Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
41012 SEVILLA
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.