iCLIMATE Aarhus University Interdisciplinary Centre for Climate Change

PhD project: Robust wheat for the future.
University: Aarhus University
Department: Department of Food Science- Plant, Food & Climate
Supervisor:  Carl-Otto Ottosen, Professor with Special Responsibilities, Department of Food Science- Plant, Food & Climate, Aarhus University
Co-supervisors: Bernd Wollenweber, Associate Professor, Department of Agroecology- Crop Health, Aarhus University & Eva Rosenqvist, Associate Professor, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences- Crop Sciences, Copenhagen University
Project term: 01.11.2018 – 31.10.2021
Master’s degree: MSc in Agriculture, Specialization in Plant Science, Copenhagen University, Denmark.

BACKGROUND
The climate change has an impact in shaping the future crop and with increasing the population and food consumption, they considered as main challenges for the global food security. Thus, more knowledge about the plant acclimation and adaptation is highly demanded to have robust wheat varieties concerning the climate variability in order to maintain the yield quantity and quality. A better understanding of the interactions between crop productivity under different environmental conditions and management regimes is crucial to sustain the agricultural productivity.

AIM
The aim of this project is to investigate the physiological and metabolic responses of existing Nordic wheat varieties to cope with combinations of heat and drought stress applied at different growth stages. In addition, develop an effective phenotyping methods for a range of robust varieties that have less yield loss under the future climatic changes.

RESEARCH OUTLINE
Wheat genotypes from Nordic breeders and existing wheat populations (RIL population based on heat tolerance and heat sensitivity genotypes) will be used to study the growth reactions and responses to photosynthesis and to have better understanding of how plants will adapt at different growth stages to a controlled climate conditions resembles the future climate.

PARTNERS OF COLLABORATION

• Department of Food Science- Plant, Food & Climate, Aarhus University
• Department of Agroecology- Crop Health, Aarhus University
• iCLIMATE Aarhus University Interdisciplinary Centre for Climate Change
• External research partners