Optimizing yield and flavour consistency of rocket greens

多年生的墙火箭（Diplotaxis tenuifolia;菊科）正在成为一个越来越重要的粮食作物，其营养含量高，易于使用的现成的沙拉，和环境友好的多年生生活史策略。虽然大多数作物使用C3光合作用，但火箭使用一种罕见且知之甚少的生理学类型，称为C2光合作用。使用C2光合作用的植物在温暖，干燥和明亮的环境下是有效的-但也是相当可塑的，应该能够在C3和C2途径之间转换生理学，以在不同的生长条件下保持效率。因此，该CTP被设计为表征火箭品种之间的光合多样性（例如，那些起源于寒冷的北方纬度的品种比起源于温暖的南欧的品种表现出更弱的C2特征吗？）并确定在不同环境下，每种火箭品种在C2与C3光合途径之间转换的程度。留学目的：1.收藏各种火箭品种; 2.在一组田间试验中在不同的生长条件下培养这种多样性（即，在意大利南部、意大利北方、西班牙和英国），并在受控环境条件下，作为Bakkavor安置的一部分; 3.量化不同火箭品种在每一组生长条件下的生物量和风味特征;以及4.确定在不同的环境中，这些火箭品种的生理变化或保持不变的程度，以及这如何影响产量和风味。C2和C3生理之间的变化将通过量化生理，解剖和13 C稳定同位素参数在火箭叶中进行评估。这个博士项目将最终确定火箭品种和环境条件，传达产量和风味一致性，最大限度地提高生物量和风味，以提高这种重要作物的可持续性和消费者吸引力。

Perennial wall rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia; Brassicaceae) is becoming an increasingly important food crop for its high nutrient content, ease of use in ready-made salads, and environmentally friendly perennial life history strategy. While most crops use C3 photosynthesis, rocket uses a rare and poorly understood type of physiology called C2 photosynthesis. Plants that use C2 photosynthesis are efficient under warm, dry, and bright environments- but are also fairly plastic and should be able to shift physiologies between C3 and C2 pathways to maintain efficiency under different growth conditions. This CTP is therefore designed to characterize the photosynthetic diversity across rocket varieties (e.g., do those varieties originating from cold northern latitudes show weaker C2 characteristics than varieties originating from warm southern Europe?) and determine the degree to which each rocket variety can shift between C2 vs C3 photosynthetic pathways under different environments. Studentship aims: 1. curate a collection of diverse rocket varieties; 2. grow this diversity under different growth conditions in a set of field trials (i.e., in southern Italy, northern Italy, Spain, and the UK) and under controlled environment conditions as part of a placement with Bakkavor; 3. quantify the biomass and flavour profile of diverse rocket varieties under each set of growth conditions; and4. determine to what degree the physiology varies or remains constant across these rocket varieties in different environments, and how this affects yield and flavour. Shifts between C2 and C3 physiology will be assessed in rocket leaves via quantification of physiological, anatomical, and 13C stable isotope parameters. This PhD project will ultimately identify the rocket varieties and environmental conditions that convey yield and flavour consistency and maximise biomass and flavour, to improve the sustainability and consumer attractiveness of this important crop.