Veredeling spinazie (BO-26.02-003-003, BO-12.03-017-003, BO-12.10-006.04-003)

 

Project description

With the research program ”Groene Veredeling” (Green Breeding) the Ministry of Economic Affairs stimulates an increasingly more sustainable agriculture. One of the aims of this program is the reduction of inputs like crop protection agents, fertilizer and water. This requires varieties that have inherent resistance against diseases, pests and that improved nutrient use efficiency while maintaining good yield and harvest security.

Low input originally was a target for the organic sector, but has more and more become a area of interest for conventional agriculture. This project therefore fits perfectly with the Innovation Theme “Meer met Minder (More with Less) of the Topsector “Tuinbouw & Uitgangsmaterialen. Organic spinach cultivars also need to produce a closed crop as soon as possible under low input conditions which also helps to suppress growth of weeds.

Aim of this project is to develop knowledge, starting material and tools for a sustainable and low-input growth system of spinach. Varieties are wanted that:

• offer a secure yield and good quality harvest at low Nitrogen fertilizer input.
• contain durable ressitance to Peronospora farosinosa

Both aims are novel themes for spinach breeding. Several major spinach breeding companies are involved in the project.

Approach:

• Evaluation of a selected set of spinach varieties for growth under low Nitrogen input.
• Production of a mapping population that will allow us to map the traits that contribute to Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE)
• Evaluation of NUE on hydroponics and discovery of genetic factors contributing to NUE in spinach
• Understand more about the mechanism of infection of Peronospora and the partial resistance

 

Results:

The length of the root system and the root:shoot ratio are important parameters for improved growth of spinach varieties at low Nitrogen availability. Several varieties are consistently among the best performing plants, other consistently less performing. We have used several of these varieties as parents in crosses that are the basis of the mapping population. Lef Area and Specific Leaf Area (Thickness of the leaves) contribute most to Nitrogen use efficiency. Several mechanisms underlying nitrogen use efficiency were identified, and the relative contributions of these mechanisms to NUE is influenced amongst others by the relative growth rate of the cultivars. The mapping population was produced and will be evaluated this year on our hydroponics system. For the genetic dissection of NUE (QTL analysis) we have discovered a large number of SNP molecular markers that will be used to make DNA fingerprints of all plants evaluated.

 

Other intended results include:

• publication of at least 2 papers
• Thesis produced and successfully defended
• Improved insight in mechanism of infection of Peronospora and durable resistance in spinach