Double Legumes, Multiple Benefits?
Lead Research Organisation:
CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY
Department Name: School of Water, Energy and Environment
Abstract
Objectives and Approaches
Embark on an exhilarating journey into the heart of agricultural innovation with our captivating research project! Our mission? Unraveling the extraordinary ecosystem service and soil health advantages of legume-legume intercropping, meticulously tailored to maximize protein yield potential.
Below is a brief explanation of the exciting objectives awaiting your scholarly exploration:
Objective 1: Pioneering Protein Yield Potential
Dive deep into the mesmerizing world of legume-legume UK variety combinations as we uncover the protein yield potential across various varietal combinations. Join us as we dissect the growth dynamics of faba beans and peas, harvested from the hallowed grounds of Cranfield University's glasshouse experiments and the sprawling fields of the Processors and Growers Organization (PGRO) and The James Hutton Institute. Together, we'll decode the secrets hidden within key physiological traits underpinning a wide range of ecosystem services, for a wide range of concerned citizens and businesses form across value chains, and society more generally.
Objective 2: Unveiling Nature's Nitrogen Fixation
Quantify biological nitrogen fixation, from the very air we breathe. Through the ingenious 15N natural abundance technique, unravel the mechanisms underpinning yield potential and examine prospects of how to offset feed imports with UK-grown legume-legume combinations. New and novel field trials at PGRO and JHI will compare targeted varietal combinations and their mono-cropped non-legume counterparts.
Objective 3: Delving into Dynamic N and C Fluxes
Elaborate pathways determining nitrogen and carbon fluxes, both above and below ground, unveiling their profound impact on the ecosystem services of water- and air-quality. From soil nitrogen leaching to the emissions of greenhouse gases, we seek to evidence the transformative effects of diverse above and below ground pulse residue mixtures on soil nitrogen, carbon cycling, and pre-crop influence on subsequent harvests.
Objective 4: Crafting Carbon Footprints of the Future
Assess the potential to transform the farming landscape by harnessing the power of data insights to inform the development of a (farm) carbon footprint accounting tool; and contribute to a new era for pea-bean intercropping, which are hoped to emerge as champions in minimizing the UKs carbon footprints across diverse range of farm typologies, paving the way towards ambitious UK Net Zero targets.
Embark on an exhilarating journey into the heart of agricultural innovation with our captivating research project! Our mission? Unraveling the extraordinary ecosystem service and soil health advantages of legume-legume intercropping, meticulously tailored to maximize protein yield potential.
Below is a brief explanation of the exciting objectives awaiting your scholarly exploration:
Objective 1: Pioneering Protein Yield Potential
Dive deep into the mesmerizing world of legume-legume UK variety combinations as we uncover the protein yield potential across various varietal combinations. Join us as we dissect the growth dynamics of faba beans and peas, harvested from the hallowed grounds of Cranfield University's glasshouse experiments and the sprawling fields of the Processors and Growers Organization (PGRO) and The James Hutton Institute. Together, we'll decode the secrets hidden within key physiological traits underpinning a wide range of ecosystem services, for a wide range of concerned citizens and businesses form across value chains, and society more generally.
Objective 2: Unveiling Nature's Nitrogen Fixation
Quantify biological nitrogen fixation, from the very air we breathe. Through the ingenious 15N natural abundance technique, unravel the mechanisms underpinning yield potential and examine prospects of how to offset feed imports with UK-grown legume-legume combinations. New and novel field trials at PGRO and JHI will compare targeted varietal combinations and their mono-cropped non-legume counterparts.
Objective 3: Delving into Dynamic N and C Fluxes
Elaborate pathways determining nitrogen and carbon fluxes, both above and below ground, unveiling their profound impact on the ecosystem services of water- and air-quality. From soil nitrogen leaching to the emissions of greenhouse gases, we seek to evidence the transformative effects of diverse above and below ground pulse residue mixtures on soil nitrogen, carbon cycling, and pre-crop influence on subsequent harvests.
Objective 4: Crafting Carbon Footprints of the Future
Assess the potential to transform the farming landscape by harnessing the power of data insights to inform the development of a (farm) carbon footprint accounting tool; and contribute to a new era for pea-bean intercropping, which are hoped to emerge as champions in minimizing the UKs carbon footprints across diverse range of farm typologies, paving the way towards ambitious UK Net Zero targets.
People |
ORCID iD |
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BB/Z516466/1 | 30/09/2024 | 29/09/2028 | |||
| 2926359 | Studentship | BB/Z516466/1 | 30/09/2024 | 29/09/2028 |