Understanding and exploiting a nitrogen-fixing endophyte for enhancing sustainability and productivity of vertical farming

了解和利用固氮内生菌来提高垂直农业的可持续性和生产力

• 批准号: BB/Z514354/1
• 负责人: Katherine Denby
• 金额: $ 62.7万
• 依托单位: University of York
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2024 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FZ514354%2F1
• 关键词: Understanding; exploiting; nitrogen; fixing; endophyte; Understanding; exploiting; nitrogen; fixing; endophyte

The UK imports 40% of its fruit and vegetables with these supply chains subject to disruption through weather in production areas and geopolitical issues, with shortages of produce becoming more common in the UK. Increasing UK production in a sustainable manner is critical to provide resilience to UK fruit and vegetable supply. Vertical farming is a rapidly-growing sector offering reliable year-round production for increased productivity, production on non-agricultural land with minimal chemical inputs (fertilizer/pesticides), no run-off pollution and highly-efficient water use. The controlled conditions of vertical farming maximise growth (minimising time-to-harvest) and prevent waste (from unfavourable climate). However, a key challenge to UK production of PACE horticulture edibles is the high energy cost and associated GHG emissions. Significant increases in the yield of these crops and/or reduction in days-to-harvest, without increasing the environmental burden of production, is the only solution to ensure a stable and sustainable supply. Our project is aimed at increasing resource use efficiency - enhancing productivity whilst reducing costs and GHG emissions per kg of produce.Availability of nitrogen is a limiting factor for crop yield, but fertilizer use contributes significantly to GHG emissions, even in controlled environment agriculture. Here, we investigate an endophytic bacterium that is able to fix nitrogen from the air and exploit this endophyte to enhance resource use efficiency of vertical farming. Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus was first identified from sugarcane and able to colonise many different crops. It stimulates plant growth via two main mechanisms; nitrogen fixation that provides ammonia to plant cells; and secretion of phytohormones and small molecules that induce changes in root system architecture, resulting in enhanced nutrient use efficiency. It is clear that in sugarcane G. diazotrophicus can provide a significant proportion of the nitrogen required by the plant and G. diazotrophicus treatment can increase potato yield by up to 30% in the field. However, we know that different varieties of crops vary in G. diazotrophicus colonisation and growth response, and the impact of G. diazotrophicus colonization has not been tested in vertical farming systems.Lettuce is the most valuable leafy vegetable grown in the UK and an increasing proportion of production is via controlled environment agriculture. In this project we will use quantitative genetics and transcriptome profiling of a lettuce diversity set to identify genetic loci and candidate mechanisms determining lettuce colonisation and/or response to G. diazotrophicus. We will investigate the impact of G. diazotrophicus on yield/days to harvest, the contribution of endophyte nitrogen-fixation to lettuce nitrogen content and the relative importance of nitrogen fixation versus root system changes. We will quantify the effects of G. diazotrophicus colonization on lettuce when grown in a commercial-scale vertical farming system and determine the impacts of G. diazotrophicus on GHG emissions and economics of lettuce production in a vertical farm.Our proposal addresses three of the PACE challenge areas (Genetic improvement of crops for increased yield, Reducing environmental impacts and progressing towards sustainability targets, and Sustainably increasing yield, quality and productivity by designing better systems). Project outcomes will sustainably enhance lettuce production in vertical farming systems with environmental and economic benefits across the lettuce CEA supply chain. Outcomes will drive breeding and/or selecting lettuce varieties for enhanced resource use efficiency via G. diazotrophicus colonisation; optimised growing recipes and technology for Vertical Future clients; and new markets for Azotic products.

英国将40％的水果和蔬菜进口这些供应连锁店，可能会因生产地区和地缘政治问题的天气而受到干扰，而在英国，农产品的短缺变得越来越普遍。以可持续的方式增加英国生产对于为英国水果和蔬菜供应提供弹性至关重要。垂直农业是一个快速增长的行业，可提供可靠的全年生产，以提高生产率，非农业土地上的生产，具有最少的化学输入（肥料/农药），没有径流污染和高效的用水量。垂直耕作的受控条件最大化生长（最大程度地减少收获时间）并防止浪费（由于气候不利）。但是，对英国生产PACE园艺食品的关键挑战是高能源成本和相关的温室气体排放。这些农作物的产量显着增加和/或减少日期至收获的不增加生产负担，是确保稳定且可持续的供应量的唯一解决方案。我们的项目旨在提高资源利用效率 - 提高生产率，同时降低每公斤农产品的成本和温室气体排放。氮的可用性是农作物产量的限制因素，但即使在受控的环境农业中，肥料的使用也会对温室气体排放产生重大贡献。在这里，我们研究了一种能够从空气中固定氮的内生细菌，并利用该内生菌来提高垂直农业的资源利用效率。首先从甘蔗中鉴定出葡糖酸杆菌，并能够定居许多不同的农作物。它通过两种主要机制刺激植物生长。为植物细胞提供氨的氮固定；以及诱导根系结构变化的植物激素和小分子的分泌，从而提高了营养用途的效率。显然，在甘蔗链球菌中，营养不良可以提供植物所需的氮和G. Rizogotrophicus治疗所需的氮的很大比例，可以在该领域增加土豆的产量高达30％。但是，我们知道，不同种类的农作物在G. gizozotrophicus殖民化和生长反应中有所不同，并且在垂直农业系统中尚未测试G. Rizogothrophicus殖民化的影响。LETTUCE是英国种植的最有价值的叶状植物，并且通过控制的环境农业而产生的产量增加。在这个项目中，我们将使用设置的生菜多样性的定量遗传学和转录组分析来识别确定生菜定殖和/或对G.重生营养性的遗传基因座和候选机制。我们将研究G. nizotrophicus对收获的产量的影响，内生菌氮固定对生菜氮含量的贡献以及氮固定的相对重要性与根系的相对重要性。我们将量化在商业规模的垂直农业系统中生长时G. dizotlophicus定居对生菜的影响，并确定G. Dizotrophicus对温室气体排放和垂直农场生产的影响的影响。通过设计更好的系统来产生，质量和生产率）。项目成果将在垂直农业系统中可持续增强生产生产，并在整个生菜CEA供应链中具有环境和经济利益。结局将驱动繁殖和/或选择生菜品种，以通过G. nizotrophicus定植提高资源利用效率；为垂直未来客户优化了不断增长的食谱和技术；以及氮杂产品的新市场。