N2CROP - Legume innovation for future agri-food systems
Project overview
Participants
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Short summary
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 Univ., Univ. of Copenhagen, Technical Univ. of Denmark, SLU, 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 focuses 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 contributes to develop future agri-food systems powered by legume intercropping.
For more information, please see the project’s external website.
The role of the SLU team (WP3-4)
Field and controlled pot experiments are being 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 are being grown using different legume varieties or lines, including mutants. We evaluate crop development, yield and nitrogen-use efficiency in the intercrops and sole crops. We use the resulting data to optimise modelling of legume-cereal intercropping systems. The effects of nitrogen fixation-enhancing mutations, different shoot branching patterns, and root characteristics on performance when grown as sole crops or cereal–legume intercrops are being evaluated. 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 outcomes
T W Mouritzen, K H E Meurer, E Bornhofen, L Janss, M Weih, S U Andersen (2025) Faba bean genetics and crop growth models – progress to date and opportunities for integration. Plant and Soil 514: 47-64.