Short project description

Grain filling represents a critical developmental phase determining final yield and grain nutritional quality. Recent findings indicate that this stage is particularly sensitive to heat stress, with sensitive cultivars exhibiting strong reductions in yield tightly linked to impaired photosynthesis and assimilate supply, while tolerant cultivars maintain performance. These contrasting responses suggest that specific physiological and metabolic processes during grain filling act as heat-sensitive bottlenecks.

This project aims to identify the cultivar-dependent components underlying heat susceptibility during grain filling. Using contrasting lupin cultivars, we can analyze source–sink dynamics, carbohydrate partitioning, nitrogen remobilization, and grain metabolic activity under heat stress in controlled environment (state of the art greenhouse and climate chamber facilities). By integrating physiological measurements, the study will pinpoint the processes that determine yield stability and grain composition under elevated temperatures. The results will provide mechanistic insight into grain-filling resilience and identify concrete physiological targets for breeding climate-resilient lupin cultivars.

The methods and further details of the project can be further modified based on student’s interests.

Is field work part of the topic (yes/no)?

No

Is lab work part of the topic (yes/no)?

Yes

Is coding part of the thesis topic (yes/no)?

No (not beyond the statistical analysis of student’s data)