The project PlantaGo ("Biological nitrification inhibition by Plantago lanceolata to reduce nitrogen losses from agroecosystems") focuses on ways to reduce nitrogen emissions from agricultural land through the temperate plant ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata). The project partners will examine to which extent ribwort plantain species can influence nitrogen transformations in the soil through the natural production of nitrification inhibitors, so that harmful N2O emissions and nitrate leaching losses are reduced.
The basic science-oriented project aims to decipher the biochemical and microbial processes and to develop a mechanistic model for the mode of action of ribwort plantain in the soil-plant-air system. In the future, the gained knowledge can be used to optimally incorporate ribwort plantain into agricultural crop rotations in order to minimize N losses while maintaining productivity.
The project receives funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the Belgian National Science Foundation (FNRS) and has a total duration of four years.
Further information
Contacts
Link
fibl.org: PlantaGo in the FiBL project database