N2CROP - Legume innovation for future agri-food systems

N2CROP is an international hub for legume research and innovation, combining experience in plant genetics, agronomics, crop modelling, and molecular nutrition. The project brings together researchers from Aarhus University, University of Copenhagen, Technical University of Denmark, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and LaTrobe University.

The goal of N2CROP is to use legume symbiotic nitrogen fixation as a basis for producing high-quality and nutritious plant protein in sustainable agri-food systems. N2CROP will focus both on input, by enhancing legume nitrogen fixation, and output, by designing seeds with high content of bioavailable protein. Through these innovations, supported by field trials and crop modelling, N2CROP will develop future agri-food systems powered by legume intercropping.

For more information, please see the project’s external website.

SLU’s Role (WP3-4)

The two crops in a mixed cropping system compete for resources, and the effects of alterations to legume nitrogen fixation and seed carbohydrate and protein loading on competitiveness, total yield and nitrogen uptake of the partner crops are complex. N2CROP will deploy carefully designed field experiments coupled with crop modelling to predict effects of specific perturbations and guide the molecular genetic approaches. Field and controlled pot experiments will be carried out at SLU and the University of Copenhagen to evaluate the growth, nitrogen economy and grain yield in intercropping systems and the corresponding sole crops. Sole faba bean crops and faba bean–wheat and faba bean–oat intercrops will be grown using different legume lines, including mutants. Nitrogen-use efficiency in the intercrops and sole crops, will be evaluated using growth and trait space analysis. The resulting data will be used to optimise modelling of intercropping systems. The effects of nitrogen fixation-enhancing mutations, different branching patterns, root characteristics on performance when grown as sole crops or cereal–legume intercrops will be predicted. The crop modelling will result in the prediction of the desired characteristics of nitrogen fixation regulation mutants, and of optimal intercrop fertilisation regimes, planting patterns and densities.

Research Papers

Mouritzen, T.W., Meurer, K.H.E., Bornhofen, E., Janss, L., Weih, M. & Andersen, S.U. (2025). Faba bean genetics and crop growth models – progress to date and opportunities for integration. Plant and Soil 514, 47-64. DOI: 10.1007/s11104-025-07459-7.