Profile

 CSA concentrates its work on the following five themes

1.                     Crop systems biology

2.                     Crop form and function

3.                     Designing climate-robust systems

4.                     Quantitative agro-ecology

5.                     Natural and social sciences interactions

The rationale of each of these themes is described in detail below.

1) Crop systems biology

Crop physiology is challenged to

• bring the information from functional genomics to the crop level,
• introduce true biological mechanisms in many current crop models,
• better understand the organization of the whole crop and its response to environmental conditions,
• fill the vast middle ground between ‘-omics’ and relatively simple crop models, and
• promote communication across scales.

‘Crop systems biology’ is a discipline aiming at modelling complex crop-level traits relevant to global food production and energy supply, via building the links between ‘omics’-level information, underlying biochemical understanding, and physiological component processes. Essential in crop systems biology is to properly map the organization levels and the communication systems between these levels for the different key processes, from the molecule or gene, all the way up to the crop. Photosynthesis and nutrient uptake are among these key processes under investigation.

2) Crop form and function

Plants respond to their environment by adapting their

·         functions (e.g. light interception, photosynthesis, transpiration, N allocation) and

·         structure or architecture (e.g. buds either break or remain dormant; size, shape and orientation of organs)

Functional-structural plant models (FSPM) are an innovative research method to investigate the complex interactions between function and structure. These models explicitly describing the development of the 3D architecture (structure) of plants as governed by physiological processes, which in turn are driven by environmental factors. FSPMs offer several options to develop a coherent research program that advances our understanding of plant (or: genotype) × environment × management interactions.

FSP-Modelling offers promise

·          as a research tool in plant sciences,

·          as a new tool supporting plant and crop management decisions, and

·          in plant breeding through exploring morphological and functional aspects of plant ideotypes. 

3) Designing climate-robust systems

Agriculture is arguably one of the most climate sensitive sectors in our global economy while food security is of global concern. Many developing countries remain heavily dependent on agriculture for national income, while agriculture occupies a special place in the national psyche of many developed nations. Hence, any effort that helps to reduce the vulnerability of this sector to climate related risks is likely to lead to considerable global benefits, both economic and social. Particularly in developing countries farmers’ coping capacity is limited by (a) a lack of resources and (b) a lack of knowledge. This theme focuses on improving resource use efficiencies (eco-efficiencies) and filling knowledge gaps. It is designed to

·         allow farmers, agro-business managers and policy makers to negotiate policy and management responses from a position of knowledge (this ensures that policy intent and management practices are aligned; it avoid or discourage ‘perverse’ policy incentives such as subsidising poor management practices);

·         reduce costs associated with risks and change management by improving eco-efficiencies and supporting informed decision making; and

·         increase enterprise profitability and environmental performance through early assessment of management alternatives.

The theme investigates better and more relevant ways to use new and enhanced climate information (including climate forecasts); it considers natural resource implications in conjunction with impacts on crop production and quality and it deals with farm-enterprise issues in addition to crop and cropping systems issues. The theme also engages directly with climate scientists and helps to negotiate priorities for climate research.

4) Quantitative agro-ecology

Agricultural systems are complex with many biota and management options leading to countless interrelationships and interactions. Pests, diseases and weeds threaten crop productivity, but natural enemies can suppress crop pests, while spatial strategies for deployment of crop species and genotypes at field and landscape level can help mitigate the impact of diseases. Weeds in cropping systems can be managed by a judicious combination of cultural and chemical control options in weed suppressive crop rotations. In this theme, we study the ecology of agricultural production systems using experimental approaches as well as a suite of innovative mathematical modelling tools. The objective is to design crop production systems that are productive, profitable, ecologically enriched, attractive, and sustainable.

This theme has three focal areas of research:

(1) Ecology of mixed plant systems. Modern, mechanised agriculture has led to monocultures with low biodiversity. There is ample evidence that diversified agricultural systems such as agroforests, mixed grass swards or (relay) intercrops can enhance productivity and promote resilience to biotic (pest, diseases) and abiotic stresses such as climate variability (including low frequency fluctuations). Whilst mixed plant systems are widely used in countries such as China, they are rarely exploited in the west. In collaboration with international partners we are pursuing this opportunity by modelling the structure and functioning of intercropping systems using FSPMs and cropping systems models.

(2) Ecology and management of weeds. The impact of weeds on agriculture systems performance is an important concern worldwide and constitutes a large share of crop production costs. This research focuses on

·         integrated weed management by cultural and other control methods, including cropping systems design, to develop weed-suppressive crop rotations;

·         ecology and management of the parasitic weed Striga hermonthica in sub-Sahara Africa; and

·         weed seed predation as an ecosystem service in agricultural landscapes.

(3) Spatial ecology and epidemiology. Pest and disease problems in agriculture have an explicit spatial component as many agents need to migrate from one crop field to another between and within seasons to complete their life cycle. Natural enemies of pests are often dependent on non-crop habitats in the landscape for overwintering and alternative food. Hence, natural pest suppression is strongly influenced by landscape structure. Using temporal-spatial modelling in conjunction with empirical field work, scenarios for optimally pest suppressive landscapes are developed. Work on regional spread of disease is used to enhance disease risk management systems. Work in this theme is strongly linked to research conducted in the other themes.

CSA has an active program focusing on so-called beta-gamma integration through participation in INREF programs, WOTRO programs and programs financed by international donors such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the WINROCK Foundation and others.

Major activities are on agronomic and social aspects of informal seed systems on several continents (including Africa, Asia and Latin America), gender issues in participatory plant breeding, the nexus between social systems, markets, production and climate risks in Africa and Asia, impact of HIV/AIDS on agriculture, farmer-managed biodiversity, wild-gathered foods, economic and spatial analysis of seed and air borne diseases.

Cooperation is intensive (via shared PhD projects) with chair groups from Social sciences (Sociology of households and consumers, Technology and Agrarian Development, Farm management) and Business administration.