LuzNutz
Increasing the cultivation value of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) as a forage plant - New impetus for the queen of forage plants
Duration from 1.2.2021 - 31.12.2024, funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture on the basis of a resolution of the German Bundestag as part of the BMEL protein plant strategy under the funding code (FKZ) 2818EPS036.
The overall LuzNutz project is concerned with innovative approaches to increasing the cultivation value of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) as a forage crop. The project is coordinated by the Julius Kühn Institute - Federal Research Institute for Cultivated Plants (JKI), Gross-Lüsewitz branch. Project partners are the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Research and Technology e.V. (INP) and Saatzucht Steinach GmbH & Ko KG.
The following project objectives are being pursued:
(i) Determination of the genetic diversity of alfalfa using effective genomic tools (GBS)
ii) Development of intelligent breeding tools (SMART Breeding)
iii) Determination of yield and yield quality in the field
iv) Improvement of resistance and resilience
In subproject iv, the efficiency of cold atmospheric plasma as a seed treatment and of plasma-treated water as a plant strengthening agent and/or plant protection product will be determined.
The breeding improvement of alfalfa will be determined in several locations over two years of cultivation, with both yield and forage quality being documented. Trials on disease resistance are carried out in the laboratory, greenhouse and field. First, direct and indirect plasma treatment of seeds and plants is carried out at laboratory/greenhouse level (2021-2023) to identify beneficial treatment parameters. Subsequently, these parameters will be applied and evaluated on selected anthracnose-infected gene accessions at field level (2022-2023).
