To combat climate change, it is necessary to use less energy and replace more of the energy we use with renewable sources. Furthermore, there is an over dependence on imported fossil fuels, putting future fuel security at risk. A number of renewable energy sources exist (for example, biomass, wind, solar, marine) and it is widely predicted that in the future no one form will dominate, in other words there will be a mixed energy economy. Biomass from energy crops are an important part of the renewable energy mix because in addition to being able to provide electricity and heat through combustion, biomass can be used to make petroleum replacements such as liquid transport fuels and platform chemicals. Miscanthus is a perennial grass and an ideal energy crop because it combines the fast growth rate of a tropical grass, such as sugarcane, with a tolerance to grow at UK temperatures. Furthermore it is a very 'eco-friendly' crop since it requires herbicide treatment only during initial establishment, produces a high yield of biomass annually with 'compound interest' on previous vegetative growth, and highly effective nutrient recycling at the end of the year reduces cultivation and fertiliser inputs. However as Miscanthus is a new crop, previous basic research has been extremely limited so that little is known about the regulation of growth and development. This proposal seeks to start addressing this deficit by investigating the molecular basis of flowering. To help in this we will exploit technologies developed for, and knowledge of flowering in, model organisms such as Arabidopsis thaliana, rice and maize. Flowering has been chosen because it is the characteristic identified as most likely, when optimised, to maximise yield quickly in Miscanthus. For example it is highly desirable for plants to flower as late as possible to increase the length of the growing season and therefore photosynthesise for longer to produce more biomass. However flowering is also desirable to trigger senescence which is a critical process by which nitrogen and other resources are mobilised to the rhizome, the part of the plant below ground. This can be very important because some plant constituents, principally potassium and chloride are corrosive or form corrosive compounds when combusted and cause damage to energy generation equipment. The commercially grown variety of Miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus), is a naturally occurring hybrid between two species, Miscanthus sacchariflorus and Miscanthus sinensis. However flowering appears to be controlled differently in the parent species so that Miscanthus sacchariflorus flowers when the daylength is less than 12 hours but Miscanthus sinensis flowers when sufficient warm days have been experienced. The hybrid only very rarely flowers under UK conditions and is sterile. Therefore in this project we aim to identify the genes most likely to be involved in flowering time in the two parents of Miscanthus x giganteus. Research on model organisms has identified over 40 genes implicated in flowering time and the equivalent genes in Miscanthus will be identified and tested for an equivalent role. This will enable the development of DNA-based molecular markers for flowering which can be used in the UK Miscanthus breeding programme. Use of molecular markers will help with the optimisation and prediction of flowering time in young plants rather than having to wait three years for plants to gain maturity. It will also help in the selection of parent plants for new crosses. The information gained from this project will help to increase biomass yields in Miscanthus more quickly. This will therefore mean that more carbon will be fixed in a smaller area of land, and in addition improve farm economics, decrease pressure on other forms of land use, increase UK fuel security and most importantly reduce global carbon dioxide emissions.

This project concerns the quality of agricultural soil. Roots need water, dissolved nutrients and oxygen, and good quality soil can transport all of these. Good soil is important for sustainable agriculture / specifically the production of grass or crops without damage to the soil or surrounding environment. The structure of soil can be damaged by compaction caused by tractor wheels or tillage. Also, if nitrate-containing soil becomes waterlogged, it exudes nitrous oxide (laughing gas). Nitrous oxide is a potent greenhouse gas causing global warming, and also adds to the destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer. If a soil is resilient, then even if it does become compacted or water-logged, it can recover. The aim of this project is to learn more about the structure and processes within soil, so that we can promote soil quality and resilience, and minimise emission of nitrous oxide. We intend to use four new, or newly improved, experimental methods, based at different research centres across the UK. These are X-ray computed tomography (similar to the CAT-scans used in hospitals), a device for measuring the water-holding ability of soil when it is being drained by gravity only, an apparatus capable of monitoring the nitrous oxide emitted from twelve laboratory samples, and a 'lysimeter' which measures the precise way nitrate is distributed and leashes through the soil under simulated rainfall. Soil is a very complicated material, and up until now studies have mostly correlated their properties without completely understanding them. To move beyond that, we enlist the help of a computer model called 'Pore-Cor' which simulates the porous structure of soil. We intend to make the model even more advanced by introducing arrays of closely packed smaller pores within the larger structure, as occur in real soil. Not only does the computer program correlate all the different properties, it also displays its results in a Virtual Reality environment / so we can climb inside the soil and see what is going on. The model will allow us to understand the geometric arrangements of the smaller pores relative to the larger, the pore environments in which the nitrous oxide is generated and vented, how nitrate distributes through the soil to feed the nitrous oxide-inducing bacteria, and how compaction and saturation affect the processes occurring. The model will also drive the experimentation forward because of its need for accurate data, and enable predictions to be made for nitrous oxide emission under other conditions and in varying soil systems. The emission of nitrous oxide is affected by other factors which will not be measured or modelled, for example temperature and wind speed. It also varies according to soil management / in particular the amount of fertiliser added, tillage, and the grazing or cropping regime. However, underlying all these effects are the fundamental structures and processes, and better understanding and prediction of these will help inform policy on land management to achieve optimum soil quality and resilience, and minimum nitrous oxide emission.

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

Legumes are a group of important plant species that, together with bacteria that live in nodules on the root, can convert nitrogen in the atmosphere to a form that can be used by plants. They include peas and beans as well as crop plants that are used for animal feed. Some legume species have been developed as 'models' that allow us to investigate genome structure, DNA sequence and the control of gene expression in a way that would be more difficult in crops. Model species typically have a small genome size, short generation times and an inbreeding system of reproduction. The barrel medic (Medicago truncatula ) has been developed as a model legume and, for example, is expected to have all its genes sequenced by the end of 2007. Information and resources from model species can be used to understand more about the genetics and genomics of crop plants in a way that will facilitate improved ways of breeding new varieties for the changing needs of agriculture. In this work we will use knowledge of Medicago truncatula to gain understanding of a closely related species, red clover. Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is an important crop for feeding animals (sheep, beef and dairy cattle) in the UK and many temperate parts of the world. In this work we will compare the genomes of the model and crop to lay the foundation for new approaches to breeding in the crop. We will do this in several different ways: (i) The sequences of long stretches of DNA will be compared. To do this we will use DNA that has been inserted into bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) in a way that allows it to be held together and suitable for sequencing. The extent of similarity in sequence between red clover and M. truncatula will tell us how closely related the two species are and the extent to which we can use information from the model e.g. to clone genes in the crop. (ii) The position of differences in DNA sequence (polymorphisms) will be mapped in the genome of red clover in such as way as to relate these differences to the physical genome as represented by the BACs (iii) A number of bio-informatic approaches will be used to extract information from DNA sequencing, physical and genetic mapping and to place the information found in the wider context of legume genetics. The bioinformatic component of the work will also facilitate the application of the knowledge gained and resources generated to the development of new varieties of red clover and other important crop species.