Scientists have developed a new agricultural research management framework based on ecological functions

Science and Technology Daily, Toronto, October 18 (Reporter Feng Weidong) According to the latest issue of "Journal of Applied Ecology", Canadian scientists have developed a new agricultural research and management framework by studying the ecology of functional traits, which can help understand short-term agriculture.

Mane Isaac, the research chair in the field of agricultural ecosystems and development in Canada and an associate professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough, said that the focus of the study of ecological functional traits is on the response and impact of plants to environmental changes, not just analyzing their genetic characteristics or Measure its output

The new research framework will help answer many questions, such as how do certain plant species realize nutrient cycling? Can it resist pests? Can the effects of drought be mitigated? Isaac said that environmental changes and agricultural practices will affect the size of crops, root and leaf characteristics, and reproduction patterns

The promotion of commercial crops often leads to the intensification of single planting models, which may cause serious environmental damage while maximizing yields

Isaac said that the new research framework will help advance the understanding of ecological patterns in natural and experimental ecosystems, thereby creating a new blueprint for applying this approach to agriculture