Improving Sustainability of Agricultural and Food Systems

Increasing sustainability and nitrogen use efficiency by improving peas for crop rotation

Postdoctoral Researcher: Dr. Beat Keller, Crop Science, ETH Zurich
Principal Investigators: Prof. Achim Walter, Crop Science, ETH Zurich; Dr. Astrid Oberson, Plant Nutrition, ETH Zurich

Plant-based protein production is currently proposed as a key way to decrease the environmental footprint of agriculture and to improve human nutrition, especially in Europe. However, with an increased demand for plant-based products, new grain legume varieties are required with high protein content and quality.

This new project aims to identifying efficient pea varieties with high photosynthetic efficiency, nitrogen fixation potential, and protein production. The work will employ state of the art phenotyping technology for the screening of photosynthetic efficiency in the field, and the technology’s potential for the detection of highly productive pea breeding lines and varieties will be evaluated. Instead of optimization of fertilizer use, the researchers propose a different approach to increase nitrogen use efficiency at the farm level by introducing legumes into crop rotation or improving existing varieties in crop rotation.

Assessing the effect on water resources and greenhouse gas emissions of fallow vs cover crop in an intensive crop rotation system under the Mediterranean climate

Postdoctoral Researcher: Dr. Sandra Pool, Subsurface Environmental Processes Group, Eawag and ETH Zurich
Principal Investigators: Dr. Joaquin Jimenez-Martinez, Subsurface Environmental Processes Group, Eawag and ETH Zurich; Prof. Félix Francés and Prof. Marta García-Mollá, Polytechnic University of Valencia

Intensive agriculture with crop rotation is usually practiced in temperate climates, such as the Mediterranean region, where droughts and high-intensity rainfall events are expected to become more prevalent because of climate change. This new interdisciplinary project aims to advance the understanding of how different crop rotation practices affect water and nitrogen balances, to quantify N2O emissions of different practices, and to estimate economic feasibilities. Work will be done through a bottom-up approach (that engages farmers, policy makers, and water authorities) and considering climate change scenarios.

The project will focus on the Campo de Cartagena area of southeast Spain, where recent change in regulations now allow two rotations instead of the traditional three and fertilizer dosage restrictions.