P3 - Grain yield and quality responses of wheat genotypes under CO2 enrichment and extreme events

Status: Ongoing

Duration: 2021 - 2025

Keywords: Plant Physiology, Crop Science, Climate Change Impacts, Food Science

Description

Increasing agricultural productivity has been a world’s strategy for enhancing food security in response to the increase in demand from growing populations. However, atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) enrichment, more extreme events as well as an increase in climate variability is expected to have serious impacts on agro-ecosystems in many areas worldwide (Högy and Fangmeier, 2013). As a consequence, cereal crop production including wheat in Ethiopia is predicted to be adversely affected as well, resulting in higher risks of food insecurity especially for smallholder farmers in rain-fed farming systems. The project thus focuses on plant-environment interaction under multiple climate change conditions in order to identify the impacts of projected future CO2 enrichment and climate variability on the performance of Ethiopian wheat genotypes, which are expected to differ in their responses.

The aim of the project is to identify how Ethiopian wheat genotypes differ in their response to atmospheric CO2 enrichment with regard to yield formation and yield quality. Moreover, the interactive effects of CO2 enrichment and extreme climate-related events on the resource use efficiency of selected wheat genotypes from Ethiopia in terms of food production will be analyzed. In addition, we will find out related information on the mitigation potential via modifications of the diet in the context of food and feed as well as bioenergy supply and processing.

In controlled exposure experiments, the genetic diversity of Ethiopian wheat genotypes will be screened under atmospheric CO2 enrichment. Moreover, the interactive impacts of elevated CO2 and extreme climate-related events (e.g., droughts, heat waves, etc.) on selected wheat genotypes will be identified using climate scenarios simulations. The resource use efficiency for e.g., water and nutrients, of wheat genotypes to combined climate change factors will be assessed and the impacts on yield and yield quality in terms of food production (future food security and malnutrition) will be evaluated. The project will further evaluate crop ideotypes in order to quantify the mitigation potential for food and nutrition security (e.g., “hidden hunger”) via modifications of the diet (nutritional interventions) and in the context of feed as well as bioenergy supply and processing. This information will be used to identify agro-economic implications of elevated CO2 and climate variability on yield and yield quality with regard to appropriate genotype selection and adaptation of regional cropping systems (e.g., management and breeding strategies). The scholarship holder will acquire extensive knowledge in the field of plant physiology, crop science, climate change impacts and food science besides expertise in ecopysiology, biochemisty and nutritional science. Practical work (climate chamber experiments, laboratory work including state-of-the-art grain quality analysis) will be carried out at the University of Hohenheim, however, the results will be relevant for all regions facing climate change impacts, particularly in terms of food security (e.g., Ethiopia).

Involved persons

Prof. Dr. Andreas Schweiger, Dr. Jürgen Franzaring
Fikeremariam Tegegn Awdamet

Involved institutions

Institute of Landscape and Plant Ecology (320b)

Involved persons

Involved institutions

Sponsors