Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is grown worldwide and is one of the most important crops for human nutrition. Einkorn wheat (Triticum monococcum) is a diploid relative of bread wheat and both have the A genome in common. The timing of flowering is of major importance for plants to optimally adjust their life cycle to diverse environments. QTL mapping studies indicated that flowering time in cereals is a complex trait, which is controlled by three different pathways: vernalization, photoperiod and earliness per se. In wheat, high-resolution genome-wide association mapping is now possible, because of the availability of a high density molecular marker chip. The main goal of the proposed project is to investigate the regulation of flowering time in wheat using a genome-wide association mapping approach based on a novel high-density SNP array. In particular, the project aims to (1) investigate the phenotypic variation of flowering time of bread wheat and Einkorn wheat in response to environmental cues in multilocation field trials, (2) study the effects of Ppd alleles on flowering time in a candidate 3 gene approach, (3) determine the genetic architecture of flowering time in a high-density genome-wide association mapping, and (4) investigate the plasticity of the genetic architecture of flowering time in wheat by a comparison between bread wheat and Einkorn wheat.
In subsoils, organic matter (SOM) concentrations and microbial densities are much lower than in topsoils and most likely highly heterogeneously distributed. We therefore hypothesize, that the spatial separation between consumers (microorganisms) and their substrates (SOM) is an important limiting factor for carbon turnover in subsoils. Further, we expect microbial activity to occur mainly in few hot spots, such as the rhizosphere or flow paths where fresh substrate inputs are rapidly mineralized. In a first step, the spatial distribution of enzyme and microbial activities in top- and subsoils will be determined in order to identify hot spots and relate this to apparent 14C age, SOM composition, microbial community composition and soil properties, as determined by the other projects within the research unit. In a further step it will be determined, if microbial activity and SOM turnover is limited by substrate availability in spatially distinct soil microsites. By relating this data to root distribution and preferential flow paths we will contribute to the understanding of stabilizing and destabilizing processes of subsoil organic matter. As it is unclear, at which spatial scale these differentiating processes are effective, the analysis of spatial variability will cover the dm to the mm scale. As spatial segregation between consumers and substrates will depend on the pore and aggregate architecture of the soil, the role of the physical integrity of these structures on SOM turnover will also be investigated in laboratory experiments.
This subproject aims at the development of spectral electrical impedance tomography (EIT) as a non-destructive tool for the imaging, characterization and monitoring of root structure and function in the subsoil at the field scale. The approach takes advantage of the capacitive properties of the soil-root interface associated with induced electrical polarization processes at the root membrane. These give rise to a characteristic electrical signature (impedance spectrum), which is measurable in an imaging framework using EIT. In the first project phase, the methodology is developed by means of controlled rhizotron experiments in the laboratory. The goal is to establish quantitative relationships between characteristics of the measured impedance spectra and parameters describing root system morphology, root growth and activity in dependence on root type, soil type and structure (with/without biopores), as well as ambient conditions. Parallel to this work, sophisticated EIT inversion algorithms, which take the natural characteristics of root system architecture into account when solving the inherent inverse problem, will be developed and tested in numerical experiments. Thus the project will provide an understanding of electrical impedance spectra in terms of root structure and function, as well as specifically adapted EIT inversion algorithms for the imaging and monitoring of root dynamics. The method will be applied at the field scale (central field trial in Klein-Altendorf), where non-destructive tools for the imaging and monitoring of subsoil root dynamics are strongly desired, but at present still lacking.
EQWIN-P soll das Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis von energieeffizienten Gebäuden verbessern, indem der Automatisierungsgrad der Verarbeitung von Gebäudehülldaten erhöht wird. Das Problem heutzutage ist zum einen, dass Gebäudehülldaten zwar innerhalb einer Softwareanwendung verarbeitet werden, aber zwischen verschiedenen Anwendungen in der Regel nicht kompatibel sind und manuell oder in gebrochenen digitalen Ketten übertragen werden müssen. Dies umfasst zahlreiche proprietäre Formate, die in Teilen auch nur in bestimmten Wissenskontexten interpretierbar sind. Des Weiteren erhalten viele hochkomplexe Messdaten erst durch Algorithmen einen planerischen Mehrwert, so dass es dringend erforderlich ist, relevante Methoden zur Bewertung von Gebäudehüllen dem breiten Markt möglichst einheitlich bereit zu stellen. Fraunhofer konzipiert und implementiert in EQWIN-P gemeinsam mit den Partnern eine Plattform, so dass am Ende des Projektes unter anderem hygrothermische Daten und 'Methoden als Service' für optische Daten online nutzbar sind. Fraunhofer entwickelt dafür auch Demonstratoren für praktische Anwendungsszenarien, z.B. zu Energieberatung, sommerlichem Wärmeschutz, Tageslichtnutzung, Hygrothermik. Fraunhofer stimmt die Arbeiten international über Beteiligung inkl. Leitung eines IEA-Projektes ab. Statt vielen manuellen Schritten können Planende durch das Vorhaben zukünftig einfacher und umfassender aktuelle und hochwertige Gebäudehülldaten nutzen. Anstelle ihre Produktdaten in vielen verschiedenen Formaten anzubieten und die Inhalte kostenintensiv aktuell zu halten, können Komponenten- und Softwarehersteller eine einheitliche Form des Datenaustauschs für zahlreiche Daten und Methodenbibliotheken verwenden, die von verschiedenen Anwendungen genutzt werden. Dies ermöglicht bessere Produktdifferenzierungen am Markt. Energieeffiziente, nachhaltige Gebäude können damit effizienter und preiswerter als bislang geplant werden.
Durum wheat is mainly grown as a summer crop. An introduction of a winter form failed until now due to the difficulty to combine winter hardiness with required process quality. Winter hardiness is a complex trait, but in most regions the frost tolerance is decisive. Thereby a major QTL, which was found in T. monococcum, T.aestivum, H. vulgare and S.cereale on chromosome 5, seems especially important. With genotyping by sequencing it is now possible to make association mapping based on very high dense marker maps, which delivers new possibilities to detect main and epistatic effects. Furthermore, new sequencing techniques allow candidate gene based association mapping. The main aim of the project is to unravel the genetic architecture of frost tolerance and quality traits in durum. Thereby, the objectives are to (1) determine the genetic variance, heritability and correlations among frost tolerance and quality traits, (2) examine linkage disequilibrium and population structure, (3) investigate sequence polymorphism at candidate genes for frost tolerance, and (4) perform candidate gene based and genome wide association mapping.