Crop production in agriculture and horticulture will continue to require maximal yields with appropriate product qualities in combination with decreased environmental impact and energy input. To meet these requirements, cultivars need to have increased resistance and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress factors, more efficient nutrient uptake, and requested product quality.
Research on plant genetics is conducted on crops to investigate existing genetic variation, and to study specific characteristics of importance for further use in plant breeding. Unique to the department is the strong link between basic research and applied plant breeding.
Research includes the following crops, for some of which we also have active breeding programs.
The research is conducted in close collaboration with leading research groups worldwide. The department has an extensive SIDA-funded cooperation with universities in Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia. A sample of research projects and some of our key partners are listed below.
Research and Innovation Action (RIA) project to develop the potential of gene editing in potato and microalgae while exploring various aspects of how the technology is embedded in society.
Coordinated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dennis Eriksson.
EU-funded (COST Association) networking project with over 600 participants from 38 European countries. Focusing on genome editing in plants from various aspects.
Coordinated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dennis Eriksson.
Erasmus+ project focused on developing PhD modules at universities in Kenya and Uganda.
Agricultural biologicals are nature-based solutions acting as alternatives to chemical products in agriculture. AgBio4SSA aims to test the use of agricultural biologicals, identify barriers for their adoption, and improve practical application among smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), particularly in Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa.
https://www.slu.se/en/departments/plant-breeding/research/agbio4ssa/
Competence resource on breeding informatics. https://www.slu.se/breedingnetwork
Consortium on banana (IITA), forages (CIAT), rice (AfricaRice), sweetpotato (CIP), wheat (CIMMYT, ICARDA) http://www.cgiar.org/about-us/research-centers/
Research programme focusing on the use of biotechnology for sustainable and competitive agriculture (barley, crambe, field cress, potato)
Competence resource on molecular plant sciences in Southern Sweden. http://www.plantlink.se/
Research programme on developing tailor-made oil qualities for various uses (camelina, crambe, field cress, nutsedge, oat)
Research programme on developing plant-based production of plant hemoglobins
Sustainable plant ingredients for healthier meat products
Production of chemicals on plant-based raw materials
Nordic pre-breeding public-private partnerships (apple, barley) http://www.nordgen.org
Research program and environment, part of the Swedish government’s Strategic Research Environment ‘Sustainable use of Natural Resources’. https://www.slu.se/tc4f
Research programme creating innovative, high quality, protein-rich food crops. http://www.protein2food.eu/
Initiative to develop a proposal for a long-term research and innovation partnership between Europe and Africa
Bolivia (Univ. Mayor San Simón), Ethiopia (Addis Ababa Univ.), Mozambique (Unv. Eduardo Mondlane), Rwanda (Univ. Rwanda), Tanzania (Univ. Dar es Salam), Uganda (Makarere Univ.) and Southern Africa (Univ. of Botswana). http://www.sida.se/English/
A national laboratory hosted by Lund University that operates accelerators producing x-rays of very high intensity and quality. https://www.maxiv.lu.se/
BalticWheat network is established by participants from 10 organizations in 7 countries with an overall goal of identifying new possibilities for promoting sustainable wheat production in the Baltic Sea region
Industrial research centre around oats, funded by SSF. http://www.scanoats.se/
