Reviewed by Lexie CornerSep 30 2024
Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and France's National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE) have developed new wheat varieties that are more sustainable and could address food security and climate change challenges. The study was published in Nature Plants.
Determining the right amount of fertilizer for wheat crops is challenging. Using too little leads to underutilized resources and reduced yields, while overuse results in good harvests, but much of the fertilizer remains unabsorbed by the grain. Wheat is essential to feed the growing global population.
To tackle these issues, Senthold Asseng, Professor of Digital Agriculture at TUM, Pierre Martre from INRAE, and other researchers explored new experimental wheat varieties. The team used data from five experimental fields representing high-yield wheat-producing regions worldwide.
They modeled the fields under three climate scenarios: the current climate, a 1°C increase in global temperature, and a 4.8°C increase. The model results predicted the yields of the tested varieties under different nitrogen fertilizer levels.
Higher Yields, but Nitrogen Remains a Problem
The research shows that the new wheat cultivars outperform current varieties by 16% under present climate conditions, using the same amount of fertilizer. This improvement is attributed to better nitrogen efficiency, reducing the ecological footprint. However, as global warming advances, the need for nitrogen will increase to maintain crop yields, even though the new cultivars will still use nitrogen more efficiently than existing ones.
The new varieties offer significant advantages, contributing to food security. However, managing nitrogen use remains a challenge, not only for environmental reasons but also due to cost concerns. Increased fertilizer use might boost yields, but it may not be affordable for all farmers, potentially leading to higher prices for both consumers and agricultural businesses.
Systemic Approach to Food Security
The scientists now advise breeding programs to continue using the cultivars tested in the model.
With improved selective breeding, we can close the food gap for the next 20 to 30 years. But new varieties alone will not be sufficient to reconcile the conflicting goals of global food security, environmental protection, and cost-effectiveness. What we need is a systemic approach that takes into account agricultural science methods, environmental aspects, socio-economic factors, and policymakers.
Senthold Asseng, Professor, Digital Agriculture, Technical University of Munich
Journal Reference:
Martre, P., et al. (2024) Global needs for nitrogen fertilizer to improve wheat yield under climate change. Nature Plants. doi.org/10.1038/s41477-024-01739-3
Source:
Technical University of Munich