Photosynthesis as a key for crop improvement
By focusing on identifying efficient pea varieties with superior photosynthetic performance, a new interdisciplinary project explores an alternative approach to improving nitrogen use efficiency at the farm level.
Producing protein from plants is a promising way to reduce agriculture’s environmental impact and improve human nutrition, particularly in Europe. Historically, grain legumes have been bred mainly for animal feed. However, the increasing demand for plant-based products requires new grain legume varieties with high protein content and quality. One challenge in identifying such varieties is that nitrogen fixation cannot be directly measured, making it hard for breeders to select for this trait.
Photosynthesis as the key
Photosynthesis is a key trait for plant physiology and growth, yet it remains a largely unexploited target for sustainable crop improvement. However, it is notoriously difficult to measure due to its dynamic nature and acclimation within seconds to fluctuating field conditions.
An ongoing project of the Improving Sustainability of Agricultural and Food Systems across Key Environmental Metrics Research Program utilizes advanced phenotyping technology to screen pea breeding lines for photosynthetic efficiency under field conditions.
Approximately 200 pea lines will be cultivated in field trials and monitored throughout the growing season for photosynthetic activity. State-of-the-art phenotyping tools will be used to evaluate photosynthetic efficiency and identify high-performing breeding lines. The relationship between photosynthesis and protein content will be analyzed to determine which lines offer the best potential for sustainable protein production. This project aims to establish a scalable workflow for automated field monitoring of photosynthesis, supporting the breeding of pea varieties with improved nitrogen use efficiency.
“It would be nice to know the photosynthetic performance of many varieties to assess their potential for protein production. Having a robot that can do this autonomously in the field is fantastic.”Project Researcher Beat Keller
Field trials ongoing
During the 2024 season, approximately 200 pea breeding lines were evaluated for photosynthetic efficiency, grain yield, and protein content. Over 80,000 measurements were collected. A positive correlation between photosynthetic performance and grain yield was observed, leading to the selection of three promising lines for further testing.
The resulting data will enhance understanding of plant physiology and support the identification of pea lines with improved protein content and nitrogen fixation. For breeders, integrating photosynthetic traits into early selection could accelerate the development of nitrogen-efficient varieties. If validated, the system could be scaled for broader use in breeding programs.
Find out more about the project:
Project Webpage Project Fact Sheet