Biostimulants improve soil and plant conditions to enhance the health-related properties of fresh produce
Lead Research Organisation:
Cranfield University
Department Name: School of Water, Energy and Environment
Abstract
Soil management practice affects the ability of biostimulants to improve the quality of fresh produce, bringing added value to consumers. It is hypothesised that the biostimulants effects on soil structure, nutrient content and availability, root morphology, plant physiology, and soil/plant symbiotic relationships are explanatory mechanisms (Halpern et al., 2015).
This project will have 3 phases:
1. Multifactorial analysis to select: a) biostimulant treatments (and modes of application), b) the salient indicators of soil health (physical, chemical and biological properties), c) target crops / produce (e.g. salad or vegetables) and d) crop quality indicators (e.g. selected nutrients, vitamins, antioxidants).
2. Evaluate the effects of biostimulant application, in terms of crop quantity and quality, using 2 complementary approaches:
a) soils and fresh produce grown on the long term Saxmundham site, Rothamsted Research (Broadwalk field) and growers fields with a long and/or known history of known biostimulant application will be sampled to test the hypothesis that biostimulant treatments affect soil structure, nutrient content and availability, root morphology, plant physiology, and soil/plant symbiotic relationships, leading to differences in crop quality (levels of vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants).
b) The unique Soil Health Facilities at Cranfield University will be used to control environmental variables (temperature, light, rainfall) to improve the signal to noise ratio often found from field experimental data. This will allow better understanding of how biostimulant effectiveness changes with soil management practice (e.g. biostimulant type, mode of application).
3. The students placement at Sainsburys will investigate the consumer facing impact and value from fresh produce grown on better managed soils. For example, are nutritional benefits meaningful within a consumer diet? How does nutritional content impact on product shelf life (potentially reducing food waste)? Are the benefits of using a more circular economy regarding organic resources understood and valued by growers / suppliers / retailers? What regulations apply?
This project will have 3 phases:
1. Multifactorial analysis to select: a) biostimulant treatments (and modes of application), b) the salient indicators of soil health (physical, chemical and biological properties), c) target crops / produce (e.g. salad or vegetables) and d) crop quality indicators (e.g. selected nutrients, vitamins, antioxidants).
2. Evaluate the effects of biostimulant application, in terms of crop quantity and quality, using 2 complementary approaches:
a) soils and fresh produce grown on the long term Saxmundham site, Rothamsted Research (Broadwalk field) and growers fields with a long and/or known history of known biostimulant application will be sampled to test the hypothesis that biostimulant treatments affect soil structure, nutrient content and availability, root morphology, plant physiology, and soil/plant symbiotic relationships, leading to differences in crop quality (levels of vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants).
b) The unique Soil Health Facilities at Cranfield University will be used to control environmental variables (temperature, light, rainfall) to improve the signal to noise ratio often found from field experimental data. This will allow better understanding of how biostimulant effectiveness changes with soil management practice (e.g. biostimulant type, mode of application).
3. The students placement at Sainsburys will investigate the consumer facing impact and value from fresh produce grown on better managed soils. For example, are nutritional benefits meaningful within a consumer diet? How does nutritional content impact on product shelf life (potentially reducing food waste)? Are the benefits of using a more circular economy regarding organic resources understood and valued by growers / suppliers / retailers? What regulations apply?
Organisations
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BB/T008776/1 | 01/10/2020 | 30/09/2028 | |||
| 2451059 | Studentship | BB/T008776/1 | 01/10/2020 | 30/09/2024 | Dannielle Roche |