Effects of different nitrogen treatments on growth and yield of old and new winter wheat varieties
Master Thesis
Research area
Crop science, plant breeding, phenology
Motivation / State of the art / Relevance
Within the SFB 1502 (DETECT) we try to understand how changes in the management of arable land, like changes in the cultivated varieties and in management, affect soil-atmosphere interactions. Breeding advances in cultivated crop varieties and optimisations in nitrogen fertiliser application have not only increased yields in recent decades, but also changed the water use and carbon sequestration of arable lands. To improve our understanding of the processes behind these changes in land-atmosphere interactions, we need more information about them. We are particularly interested in differences in leaf area index, transpiration, and C:N ratios of leaves of old and new winter wheat varieties.
Goals
The aim of this study is to investigate differences in leaf area index, transpiration and C:N ratios of leaves of old and new winter wheat varieties.
Methodology / Procedure / Workscope / external cooperation
This study involves work on a field trial with several winter wheat varieties and fertiliser treatments at Campus Klein-Altendof. This includes several dates during the growing season where leaf area index and transpiration will be measured. In addition, partial harvests will be taken on three dates to investigate C:N ratios in the leaves in the laboratory. If there is interest, it would also be possible to compare the results of leaf area index measured with a drone with those measured by hand. For the very motivated students, an implementation of the data in a model would also be possible.
Expected results
Differences in the canopy structure of the varieties are to be expected. Fertilisation rates will probably have different effects on old and new varieties. Also to be expected are higher nitrogen contents in the biomass of treatments with high fertiliser applications.
Timeframe
4 - 6 months
Language
English or German
Previous knowledge
Basic knowledge of plant physiology
Supervisor
Dr. Thomas Gaiser, Dr. Hubert Hüging, Dominik Behrend
Contact
dbehrend@uni-bonn.de