SOAR is a research school. In addition to the focus on PhD students, SOAR also includes graduates, postdocs and supervisors in the activities and networks. This is important because they also constitute the research environment, in which the PhD student is under education. SOAR wants to contribute to the professional discussions with a special focus on the organic food and farming systems.
The research interests of SOAR cover a wide range of subjects within organic agriculture and food systems:
Annual food crops with improved tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses
Supervisors
Sven-Erik Jacobsen, Copenhagen University, Faculty of Life Sciences
Fulai Liu, Copenhagen University, Faculty of Life Sciences
Mathias Neumann Andersen, Aarhus University, Faculty for Science and Technology
Plants respond to abiotic stresses by production of ABA, which causes stomatal closure and induce expression of stress-related genes and specific proteins involved in stress tolerance. This in turn decreases whole plant growth and transpiration. The induction of ABA production in the root system is related to i.a. soil dehydration and salinity; and is a key component involved in acclimation of agricultural crops to stress conditions. At LIFE, previous studies of root signalling have produced models that quantify the root derived ABA under heterogeneous soil moisture distribution as a function of root density, while investigations at DJF have identified genes that are involved in drought induced reproductive failure/seed abortion, a physiological reaction to stress which severely limits yield on a global scale. The project will create a synergy between these lines of research by outlining the conditions for growing ‘climate proof’ crops that match and maintain soil water reserves by reducing transpiration, and with decreased sensitivity to drought during early embryogenesis . The present project is linked to the EU FP7 project on optimising agricultural production in the Mediterranean region: Sustainable water use securing food production in dry areas of the Mediterranean region (SWUP-MED). The student will spend time at both LIFE and DJF
Aim
The long-term aim will be the stabilisation of yield in crops/cultivars adapted to combinations of abiotic stresses, under a Mediterranean climate of cold, humid winters, and hot, dry summers. We will study the connection between drought and soil salinity, which often may develop together especially when using inadequate amounts or poor quality water for irrigation
