designing innovative plant teams
Led by Martin Weih and Giulia Vico (SLU, Sweden) the project will further explore plant teams via existing and novel theoretical models, to test and optimise plant team performance and design novel plant teams. Crop traits and configurations that optimise performance and quality in plant teams under biotic and abiotic stress and optimum trait combinations for agronomic performance will be identified alongside practical criteria to assist cultivar selection and inform breeding strategies.
Objectives
3.1 Analyse stakeholder-defined plant teams, unravel mechanisms and identify key traits for positive plant-plant interactions;
3.2 Design innovative plant teams, by identifying ideal trait combinations for agronomic productivity and provision of ecosystem services;
3.3 Define ideal plant teams under specific current and future climatic scenarios;
3.4 Prepare tools for easy communication with breeders and decision makers to optimise selection of innovative plant teams.