A1258567720HcWlp

1
WG3 plant and soil interactions
Minutes of the meetings of Working Group 3 during
the 1st SUSVAR workshop at Tune Landboskole
(28-30 June 2004) Compiled by Fabio
Mascher-Frutschi, Agroscope RAC Changins, Nyon
(CH). 2 July 2004.
2
People present

• John Baddeley, Scottish Agricultural College
• Marina Azzaroli Bleken, Agricultural University
  of Norway
• Tara S. Gahoonia, Royal Veterinary and
  Agricultural University
• Paul Hallett, Scottish Crop Research Institute
• Eva Johansson, SLU, Alnarp
• Anne-Kristin Løes, Norwegian Centre for
  Ecological Agriculture
• Matthias Lutz, Institute of Plant Science, Zürich
• Fabio Mascher-Frutschi, Agroscope RAC Changins
• Susanna Muurinen, MTT Agrifood Research
• Ari Rajala, MTT Agrifood Research
• Peter Schweiger, Ludwig-Boltzmann-Institute for
  Biol. Agr.
• Ingrid Kaag Thomsen, DIAS, Foulum
• Christine Watson, Scottish Agricultural College
• Maria Wivstad, SLU, Uppsala
• Sandra Wright, Göteborg University

3
Excused

• Andrzej Aniol
• Elisabeth Stockdale, University of Newcastle
• Geneviève Défago, ETH Zürich
• Paul Mäder, FibL
• Yvan Moënne-Loccoz, Université de Lyon1

4
Programme proposal for WG3
Monday, 28 June INTRODUCTION

• Monday 1630-1800
• Presentations (I)
• Tuesday 900- 1000
• Presentations (II)
• 1000-1200
• Discussions objectives, aims, outputs and
  deliverables
• Wednesday 1000-1300
• Common experiments
• Protocols and sites
• STSMs in WG3
• Next workshop

5
Monday 28 June 04
Monday, 28 June INTRODUCTION

• Short presentations of all participants
• After the presentation
• list on the blackboard the methods you use (only
  in a few words).

6
A summary of topics treated within the
presentations
Monday, 28 June PRESENTATIONS
7
Monday, 28 June PRESENTATIONS
A rough picture of the blackboard filled up with
methods available in WG3, a complete list will be
compiled by A.K. Løes and made available in the
WG3 section of the SUSVAR homepage
(http//www.cost860.dk)
8
Tuesday, 29 June INTRODUCTION
Tuesday, 29 June 2004

• Finishing the presentations of the participants
• Focus on SUSVARs aims and objectifs
• Problems in low-input and organic agriculture
• What WG3 may contribute to SUSVAR?
• How WG3 may contribute to SUSVAR?

9
Aim of SUSVAR
Tuesday, 29 June INTRODUCTION

• to ensure stable and acceptable yields of
  good-quality crops for low-input, especially
  organic, cereal production in Europe

Objectives

• to establish methods for selecting varieties,
  lines and populations
• to develop ways to increase and make use of
• crop diversity and
• genotype-environment interactions

10
Aims of WG3
Tuesday, 29 June INTRODUCTION

• Provide information to breeders about
• nutrient acquisition of cereal genotypes
• genotype and microbe interactions
• adaptation to low-input agriculture
• Study solutions for stabilizing yield in
  low-input/organic agriculture
• varieties
• microbial inoculants

11
Working topics covered within WG3 (n11)
Tuesday, 29 June THE QUESTIONNAIRE
Others nutrient recycling, integration between
crop animal, plant root systems
(architecture/lifespan), C N turnover in soil
12
Tuesday, 29 June THE QUESTIONNAIRE
Your expertise
A Soil science B Soil microbiology C
Plant nutrition/nutrient acquisition D
Biocontrol/Plant pathology E Soil ecology F
Breeding G Genotypes-soil disturbance
interactions H others
13
Tuesday, 29 June THE QUESTIONNAIRE
Our expertise
A Soil science B Soil microbiology C
Plant nutrition/nutrient acquisition D
Biocontrol/Plant pathology E Soil ecology F
Breeding G Genotypes-soil disturbance
interactions H others
Others nutrient recycling, integration between
crop animal, plant root systems, plant ecology,
crop development and growth, conversion to
organic farming, social science,
14
Tuesday, 29 June THE QUESTIONNAIRE
Your experimental approach
A field B greenhouse C laboratory D
theoretically E other
15
Tuesday, 29 June THE QUESTIONNAIRE
Our experimental approach
A field B greenhouse C laboratory D
theoretically E other
Others farm, farming systems, farm level studies
16
Tuesday, 29 June THE QUESTIONNAIRE
Field experiments(possibility to host an
experiment)

• Finland MTT Agrifood Research Pentti
  Seuri Susanna Muurinen Ari Rajala
• Scotland Scottish Agriculture College
• Christine Watson
• Denmark Danish Institute of Agricultural
  Sciences
• Ingrid K. Thomsen The Royal Veterinary and
  Agriculture University Tara S. Gahoonia
• Switzerland Agroscope RAC Changins
• Fabio Mascher
• Norway Agricultural University of Norway
  Marina Azzaroli Bleken

17
Tuesday, 29 June THE QUESTIONNAIRE
Field experiments(sampling and analysis)

• Finland MTT Agrifood Research Pentti
  Seuri Susanna Muurinen Ari Rajala
• Scotland Scottish Agriculture College
• Christine Watson
• Switzerland Agroscope RAC Changins
• Fabio Mascher ETH Zürich Matthias Lutz

18
List of problems in low-input agriculture
Tuesday, 29 June DISCUSSION

• A grain quality (protein content), weeds, smuts
• N soil structure, weeds, N-depletion
• CH N-deficiency, yield stability, soil- and
  seed-borne diseases
• S yield stability (weeds, N-unavailable in
  spring)
• DK yield quantity
• UK N-unavailable in spring, weeds
• FIN yield formation, weeds, baking quality

19
Tasks of WG3
Tuesday, 29 June DISCUSSION

• Task 1 Make more N P available at the right
  time (standpoint plant AND soil)
• Task 2 Study beneficial microbes to enhance
  plant health and yield stability
• Further tasks will be determined during SUSVAR

20
Wednesday, 30 June INTRODUCTION
Wednesday 30 June 2004

• Division into two groups (1) roots/nutrients and
  (2) microbial ecology
• Each group discusses and documents
• the indicators to provide
• the discussion and planning of common experiments
• proposals for STSMs
• Presentations of the outcome of each group
• STSMs, homepage, next workshops
• Establishment of an AGENDA
• Closing the WG3 meeting

21
Task 1
Wednesday, 30 June DISCUSSION

• Make more N P available at the right time
  (standpoint plant AND soil)

How to intervene

• Study root development
• Study root associated microbes
• Study plant growth and development habit
• Nutrient allocation and timing

22
Providing indicators
Wednesday, 30 June DISCUSSION

• Aboveground (sequential sampling) - biomass, N,
  P, leaf area, grain and straw measurements at
  harvest
• Belowground - top 40cm, biomass, root length,
  root hairs, architecture, Bertholdsson test.
  (Possible additions - root interactions in
  mixtures, AMF (mycorrhiza))
• Soil basic data - extractable P, K, total N,
  texture, density, pH, loss on ignition, CEC

23
Wednesday, 30 June DISCUSSION
Considerations

• Emphasis on existing experiments, use of common
  techniques where possible
• modelling techniques likely to be important
• use existing data where possible
• work on mixed and arable systems
• grain yield is not the only consideration (eg
  biomass production may be important)
• emphasise importance of root measurements to
  breeders and obtaining model varieties

24
Task 2
Wednesday, 30 June DISCUSSION

• Study beneficial microbes to enhance plant health
  and yield stability

How to intervene

• Study biocontrol bacteria against seed- and
  soil-borne diseases
• Study colonization of cultivars by
  micro-organisms
• Study effect of cultivars on beneficial
  micro-organisms
• Develop methods to preserve mycorrhiza

25
Wednesday, 30 June DISCUSSION
Providing indicators

• Screening methods to study cereal cultivars and
  beneficial bacteria interaction
• Screening methods to study effect of seed-coating
  bacteria in greenhouse and field
• Cultural methods to preserve mycorrhiza

26
Common experiments within WG3 and among WGs
Wednesday, 30 June DISCUSSION

• Looking at colonization of genotypes by microbes
  and effect of cultivars on efficacy of microbes
  (WG3)
• Using isolates for protection against seed- and
  soil-borne diseases (varieties field test in
  Sweden and Scotland) (WG3, WG3 WG5)
• Problem stinking smut use seed drench bacteria
  and varietal resistance (WG3 WG5 gt
  WG1)
• Develop methods to examine soil-physical impact
  on plants and microbes (WG3 WG4)

27
To consider further
Wednesday, 30 June DISCUSSION

• Use of existing data
• Sustainable soil management
• Soil structure/properties/organic matter
• Impact of varieties on soil and vice-versa
• Nutrient ecology role of microbes
• Nutrient losses from soil
• Protein analysis (for baking/pasta quality) (E.
  Johansson)
• Extractable organic N in soils and role of AMF

28
A common activity within WG3
Wednesday, 30 June DISCUSSION

• Question Find varieties that optimise nutrient
  extraction from soil
• We collaborate in
• Root development and physiology
• Root shoot allocation
• Microbes colonization and efficiency
• Modelling nutrient uptake
• We need
• Input from WG6 and WG1 for varieties to study and
  ongoing field trial sites
• Responsable ??

29
STSM
Wednesday, 30 June DISCUSSION

• Proposals for STSM
• Work on one field experiment (to be selected) and
  partners make a set of measurements of root
  soil parameters

30
Homepage
Wednesday, 30 June DISCUSSION

• What to put on the homepage
• minutes of WG3 meetings
• method list of blackboard
• a presentation of each participant in WG3 (short
  description of each p., publication list, working
  topic etc).
• .pdf files as reprints of publications upon
  request to the author
• responsible for WG3 Matthias Lutz

31
Possible types of workshops
Wednesday, 30 June DISCUSSION

• Presentation workshops
• Practical workshop learning and seeing new
  methods, do something together (learning by
  doing) evalutation of field tests etc. data
  discussion (refer to as  digging workshop )
• WG meetings, discussion and organising common
  activities
• Mixtures
• Important is the way to organise a
   presentation workshop , as a basis of
  discussion, it might not be necessary to show
  perfect presentations  but to present
  methodology and results which allows questions
  and suggestions.

32
AGENDA
Wednesday, 30 June DISCUSSION

• Meeting at Witzenhausen to refine our discussions
• WG meeting spring 2005 in Switzerland
•  Contributions to genotype testing 
• evtl. combined WG3 WG5 workshop
• evtl. postpone to do a practical workshop
  (digging)
• Establish email-allert for WG3 or a discussion
  forum

33
Thanks a lot for the excellent discussions!
Wednesday, 30 June