Work Program

The collaboration of each subproject (SP) and the linkages between individual work packages (WP) are shown in Figure 4, where WP 1-5 belong to the 1st phase and WP 6-9 to the 2nd phase of RhizoTraits. The work program for the 2nd phase builds on the results from the 1st phase. Manipulation experiments under controlled conditions will be conducted focusing on maize varieties with contrasting resource acquisition strategies. Their performance will be investigated under varying soil texture and drought intensity conditions (WP6). Yield stability and variability of contrasting maize varieties grown in monoculture and mixed cropping systems, i.e., mixtures with two maize varieties with contrasting resource acquisition strategies, will be investigated along a texture and climate gradient froth south to north Bavaria (WP7). The contrasting strategies will be incorporated into plant-root descriptions of the biogechemical model LandscapeDNDC to improve predictions on yield and important ecosystem services depending on climatic and edaphic conditions, as well as mixed cropping practices (WP8). Moreover, we will cross-validate LandscapeDNDC and SWAT with remote sensing-based yield estimates using the light use efficiency (LUE) model and elucidate the role of maize varieties for ecosystem services beyond yield, e.g., C sequestration, N retention, and erosion control on regional (Bavaria) and national scale (WP9).