Centre of Excellence AgroCropFuture

Bataadi joonis ja tippkeskuse nimi AgroCropFuture

One of ten centres in Estonia, the Centre of Excellence AgroCropFuture, ‘Agroecology and new crops in the future climates’, involves top-level research groups from the Estonian University of Life Sciences, the University of Tartu and the Centre of Estonian Rural Research and Knowledge. The head of AgroCropFuture is Professor Ülo Niinemets of the Estonian University of Life Sciences.

The Centre of Excellence will operate for seven years, until the end of 2030. The budget for the whole period is €7 million. The funding is provided by the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research.

A productive variety of sweet potato with purple flesh ‘Erato Eraly Orange’.

Objectives

The Centre of Excellence AgroCropFuture addresses the challenges of field agriculture in future climates and the non-sustainable ecological footprints of food production systems focusing on:

1) breeding climate-adapted varieties and testing new crops under current andpredicted future conditions;

2) Identifying the links between microbial communities, crop yields and ecosystem services;

3) harnessing the diversity of plant growth-promoting microbia to simultaneously maximize agricultural yields andecosystem services;

4) creating AI-based eDNA methodology and global molecular database of microorganisms for developing sustainable agricultural practices in different croplands under current and future conditions.

The Centre further serves as a catalyst of modern agriculture by transfer of knowledge and creating intellectual property for immediate application, including novel crop varieties, growth-promoting microbial lines, biofertilizers and AI approaches for maximization of crop yields and ecosystem services.

Ülo Niinemetslink opens in new page, Head of the Plant biology and crop science group, Professor, Institute of Agriculture and Environmental Sceineces, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Head of the Centre of Excellence AgroCropFuture

Martin Zobellink opens in new page, Co-leader of the Plant-microbe interactions group, Professor, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Co-leader of the Centre of Excellence AgroCropFuture

Urmas Kõljalglink opens in new page, Head of the Biodiversity informatics and data science group, Professor, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu

Ülo Manderlink opens in new page, Head of the Ecosystem functions and services group, Professor, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu

Mari Moorlink opens in new page, Head of the Plant-microbe interactions group, Professor, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu

Meelis Pärtellink opens in new page, Head of the Ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation group, Professor, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu

Marina Semchenkolink opens in new pagelink opens in new page, Head of the Plant-soil feedbacks group, Professor, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu

Leho Tedersoolink opens in new page, Head of the Microbial biodiversity and ecology group, Professor, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu

Ilmar Tammlink opens in new page, Head of the Crop research and breeding group, Senior Researcher, The Centre of Estonian Rural Research and Knowledge

Tiia Kurvits, project maganger, Coordinator, Estonian University of Life Sciences

The centre of excellence is advised by external experts who form an international scientific advisory board:

Marcel van der Heijdenlink opens in new page, Head of the Plant-Soil-Interactions Research Group, Agroscope, Zürich (plant science,microbial ecology, agroecology

Morten Lillemolink opens in new page, Professor, Faculty of Biociences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (crop breeding)

Josep Peñuelaslink opens in new page, Research Professor, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC, Barcelona (plant science, global ecology).

The office of the center includes coordinators Tiia Kurvits (Estonian University of Life Sciences), Dr. Inga Hiiesalu and Dr. Kersti Püssa (University of Tartu) and Dr. Ilmar Tamm (The Centre of Estonian Rural Research and Knowledge).

The task of the coordinators is to help the leaders of the research groups coordinate the work of the 8 research groups and organize joint events such as thematic think tanks, doctoral schools, conferences, meetings with farmers and other interest groups, trainings for target groups.

Research groups

The work of the Center of Excellence AgroCropFuture involves 8 research groups, including 1 from the Estonian University of Life Sciences, 6 from the University of Tartu and 1 from the Centre of Estonian Rural Research and Knowledge, and two individual researchers from the University of Tartu - Associate Professor of Biodiversity Informatics Kessy Abarenkov and Associate Professor Tsipe Aavik.

The Estonian University of Life Sciences is represented by the Plant biology and plant breeding grouplink opens in new page headed by professor Ülo Niinemets.

The University of Tartu is represented by the Biodiversity informatics and data science grouplink opens in new page headed by professor Urmas Kõljalg.

The University of Tartu is represented by the Ecosystem functions and services grouplink opens in new page headed by professor Ülo Mander.

The University of Tartu is represented by the Plant-microbe interactions grouplink opens in new page headed by professor Mari Moora and co-lead by professor Martin Zobel.

The University of Tartu is represented by the Ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation grouplink opens in new page headed by professor Meelis Pärtel.

The University of Tartu is represented by the Plant-soil feedbacks grouplink opens in new page headed by professor Marina Semchenko.

The University of Tartu is represented by the Microbial biodiversity and ecology grouplink opens in new page headed by professor Leho Tedersoo.

The Centre of Estonian Rural Research and Knowledge is represented by the Crop research and breeding grouplink opens in new page headed by senior researcher Ilmar Tamm.