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Strengthening resilience of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in organic production to climate change-induced biotic and abiotic stressors through microbial action.


Term

2024-01-01 bis 2026-12-31

Project management

  • Torsten, Will
  • Gwendolin, Wehner


Responsible institute

Institut für Resistenzforschung und Stresstoleranz


Cooperation partner

  • Institut für Epidemiologie und Pathogendiagnostik (JKI)
  • Institut für Pflanzenschutz in Gartenbau und urbanem Grün (JKI)
  • Institut für Pflanzenschutz in Gartenbau und urbanem Grün (JKI)


Overall objective of the project

Depending on the weather, diseases such as, B. lactucae and G. cichoracearum, as well as the aphid N. ribisnigri, which specializes in lettuce, occur. These cannot be controlled in organic farming by means of synthetic chemical pesticides and therefore point to the need to optimize plant resistance in organic farming. Interaction with beneficial microorganisms offers one possibility for this.Accordingly, the objective of this project is to increase the resilience of lettuce to biotic and abiotic stressors. We will identify lettuce cultivars with good responsiveness to beneficial MO (priming effects). The basis of the work planned here will be field experiments in which 30 diverse Lactuca lettuces, including reference cultivars, will be characterized with respect to microbiome and resilience. All work will be in accordance with organic cultivation methods.


Funder

Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture