Successful launch of the PlantaGo project at FiBL

In mid-July 2024, the kick-off meeting of the PlantaGo project took place at FiBL in Frick. During the two days, researchers from FiBL Switzerland, the Universities of Brussels and Liège (Belgium) and the University of Giessen (Germany) intensively discussed the first laboratory and greenhouse trials.

From left to right: Christoph Müller (Justus Liebig University Giessen), Cécile Thonar (Free University of Brussels), Adrien Blum (University of Liège), Else Bünemann (FiBL), Hugo Murillo (Free University of Brussels), Hervé Vanderschuren (University of Liège), Melissa Lenhardt (FiBL), Hanna Frick (FiBL), Hans-Martin Krause (FiBL). (Photo: FiBL, Matthias Waibel)

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.