Optimising Genetics by Management (GxM) Interactions to Enhance Productivity and Quality in Indoor Lettuce Cultivation

通过管理 (GxM) 相互作用优化遗传学，提高室内生菜种植的生产力和质量

• 批准号: BB/Z514731/1
• 负责人: Robert Hancock
• 金额: $ 71.7万
• 依托单位: James Hutton Institute
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2024 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FZ514731%2F1
• 关键词: Optimising; Genetics; Management; GxM; Interactions

Total controlled environment agriculture (TCEA; indoor or vertical farming) offers significant advantages over field agriculture that could contribute to UK food security whilst minimising environmental impacts of production. These include the capacity to match supply to demand by accelerating or slowing production cycles; the ability to produce food at high density close to population centres replacing agricultural land use and reducing emissions associated with complex supply chains; the ability to reduce inputs by precision supply of nutrients and water, and the physical exclusion of pests; and the capacity to produce consistent desirable products independent of season reducing waste associated with retailer and consumer rejection.Conversely, TCEA is dependent on electrical energy to generate light for photosynthesis and maintenance of growth environments where >90% of CO2 emissions from TCEA result from electricity use and energy usage for hydroponic lettuce production is up to 80 times greater than for field production. This highlights a need to improve the efficiency of indoor production.A key factor limiting efficiency in TCEA is conversion of light energy to biomass where plants evolved in an environment where light is often present in excess and breeding for low light environments encountered in TCEA has not been undertaken. Conversion efficiency in the field can be as little as 0.03% and while narrow band LED's can raise efficiency indoors it remains at 1-3%. However, significant intra and interspecific variation exists in light use efficiency (LUE) that can be exploited to identify mechanisms and markers for enhanced performance in TCEA. Furthermore, appropriate light and environmental management can improve the efficiency of edible biomass accumulation and offers the opportunity to modulate crop quality to meet postharvest expectations. In the proposed work we will exploit diverse lettuce populations to identify mechanisms and markers underpinning light use efficiency and harvest index. We will use knowledge gained to design experiments to optimise light and environmental management for enhanced production efficiency.The aims of the project are to:Identify the molecular determinants and markers of light use efficiency under TCEA conditions in lettuce populations.Optimise lettuce production efficiency in TCEA environments taking advantage of understanding G x M interactions.Use the flexibility of TCEA environments to optimise lettuce post-harvest quality and shelf life.Provide academia and industry with a toolkit comprising breeding markers and targets, and crop management approaches and protocols to improve the short- and long-term efficiency of TCEA.The project represents an important step towards breeding for TCEA. As crops have not previously been selected for such environments, high genetic gain is anticipated. We will deliver markers for key traits for TCEA production efficiency directly to a leading UK seed company accelerating the production of crops adapted for the indoor environment. Work to optimise production environments will provide immediate efficiency gains initially for our partners IGS and more widely through dissemination activities. Work undertaken in this proposal will reduce the environmental footprint of TCEA, drive profitability and support the UK at the forefront of this emerging technology.

完全控制环境农业（TCEA；室内或垂直农业）与田间农业相比具有显著优势，可以为英国粮食安全做出贡献，同时最大限度地减少生产对环境的影响。其中包括通过加快或减缓生产周期来匹配供需的能力；在人口中心附近高密度生产粮食的能力，取代农业用地，减少与复杂供应链相关的排放；通过精确供应营养物和水以及从物理上排除害虫来减少投入的能力；以及生产与季节无关的一致的理想产品的能力，减少与零售商和消费者拒绝相关的浪费。相反，TCEA依赖于电能来产生光，用于光合作用和维持生长环境，其中TCEA排放的bbb90 %的二氧化碳来自电力使用，而水培生菜生产的能源使用量高达田间生产的80倍。这凸显了提高室内生产效率的必要性。限制TCEA效率的一个关键因素是光能向生物质的转化，其中植物在光经常过剩的环境中进化，而TCEA中遇到的弱光环境的繁殖尚未进行。在现场的转换效率可以低至0.03%，而窄带LED在室内可以提高效率，它仍然在1-3%。然而，光利用效率（LUE）存在显著的种内和种间差异，可以用来确定TCEA提高性能的机制和标记。此外，适当的光照和环境管理可以提高可食用生物质积累的效率，并为调节作物质量提供机会，以满足采后预期。在拟议的工作中，我们将利用不同的生菜群体来确定支撑光利用效率和收获指数的机制和标记。我们会利用所获得的知识设计实验，优化光线和环境管理，以提高生产效率。该项目的目的是：确定TCEA条件下生菜群体光能利用效率的分子决定因素和标记。利用对gxm相互作用的理解，优化TCEA环境下生菜的生产效率。利用TCEA环境的灵活性来优化生菜收获后的质量和保质期。为学术界和工业界提供一个包括育种标记和靶标、作物管理方法和方案的工具包，以提高TCEA的短期和长期效率。该项目代表了TCEA育种的重要一步。由于以前没有选择适合这种环境的作物，预计遗传收益会很高。我们将直接向英国一家领先的种子公司提供TCEA生产效率关键性状的标记，以加速适应室内环境的作物生产。优化生产环境的工作将首先为我们的合作伙伴IGS带来立即的效率提高，并通过传播活动更广泛地提高效率。该提案所进行的工作将减少TCEA的环境足迹，提高盈利能力，并支持英国在这一新兴技术的前沿。