3. Which other promising research projects would you like to mention?

Elite research area: Plant biotechnology

 

Poul Erik Jensen, professor and anchorperson answers the question:

 

“There are several, but in relation to increasing plant yield I would like to mention an ongoing project in which we are studying how plants use the resources available to them. Here, minerals are particularly important as plants seem to differ a great deal in terms of how well they utilise minerals such as manganese and phosphate.

If a plant is very poor at utilising a mineral, its yield will be correspondingly poor, resulting in less food and biomass. We therefore study which mechanisms in the plant determine how well the plant utilises its minerals.”

 

Big yield despite poor soil quality

“One of our specific ambitions is to generally increase the yield from wheat and other widespread varieties of grain despite poor soil quality. This could become very relevant for developing countries where stable harvests are essential and where many small farmers are forced to cultivate their crops in depleted soil.

This is also a good example of collaboration with another of LIFE’s elite research areas – Plant biosystems."