Myzus persicae, more commonly known as green peach aphid, is an important pest in agriculture. Each year it causes great losses to agricultural and horticultural plants. It feeds on sap in the phloem, the main transportation route for plant nutrients. It also transmits more than 100 plant viruses, and as there are still no agrichemicals specifically against viruses, farmers often spray large amounts of pesticides to protect their crops. A group of widely-distributed plant proteins, termed lectins, have been recently studied because of their insecticidal properties against aphids. Snowdrop lectin, Galanthus nivalis agglutinin (GNA) was the first isolated monocot mannose-binding lectin, conferring properties of resistance to sap-sucking or homopteran pests. The aim of the project described in this thesis was to identify and express a novel lectin in Arabidopsis thaliana and to assess the performance of the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae, on both transgenic and wild type plants. A gene encoding a novel mannose-binding lectin was cloned from Allium triquetrum (wild garlic). The full-length cDNA of Allium triquetrum agglutinin (ATA) was 719 bp and contained a 522 bp open reading frame encoding a 173 amino acid polypepetide. Homology analysis showed that ATA has high similarity with other mannose-binding lectins and includes three putative mannose-binding subdomains, which suggests that ATA may also confer resistance against aphids. The pGreen 0029 vector and the 35S CaMV cassette were ligated to produce the expression construct. An expression vector was engineered using the pGreen vector together with CaMV 35S promoter and the novel ATA gene was inserted. Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants were subsequently generated using the Agrobacterium-mediated floral dip method. Six homozygous ATA-transformed lines and one empty vector-transformed control line were obtained using kanamycin selection. Several key growth parameters of the transgenic plants were assessed to demonstrate that expressing ATA causes few III phenotypic changes to the host plant. The transgenic plants were subsequently used for aphid bioassays, including choice and non-choice behaviour tests, Mean Relative Growth Rate test, fecundity test, and survival test. The aphid bioassays revealed that (1) ATA does not change the behaviour of aphids to choose a host; (2) Adults are more sensitive to ATA than nymphs; (3) ATA has significant detrimental effects on aphid fecundity. The results described in the thesis show that the production of Allium triquetrum agglutinin in Arabidopsis confers partial resistance to the aphids, Myzus persicae. It is likely that this lectin in related Brassicaceae plants could be used, perhaps in conjunction with other pest-control measures in agriculture. Key words: Allium triquetrum agglutinin, aphid bioassay, Arabidopsis thaliana, choice test, fecundity test, lectin, non-choice test, mean relative growth rate, Myzus persicae, pleiotropic effects, resistance against aphids, survival test.

Biofortified orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) is being promoted to tackle vitamin A deficiency, a serious public health problem affecting children and pregnant/lactating women in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of the study was to quantify and understand the factors influencing carotenoid losses in dried OFSP. Losses were determined in chips after drying and storage. A preliminary study demonstrated that carotenoid levels were not significantly different following either solar or sun drying. Carotenoid loss after drying was generally correlated with high initial moisture content and high carotenoid content in fresh sweetpotato roots. Losses of pro-vitamin A were less than 35% in all cases. Flour made from OFSP could therefore be a significant source of provitamin A. In contrast, storage of chips at room temperature in Uganda and Mozambique for four months resulted in high losses of pro-vitamin A (ca. 70-80% loss from the initial dried product). Low-cost pre-treatments, such as blanching, antioxidants and salting, did not reduce carotenoid losses during storage. Enzymatic catabolism of b-carotene in dried OFSP was considered unlikely because of low peroxidase activities at low water activities and the loss of peroxidase activity during storage. To understand further the factors causing the losses, dried sweet potato chips were stored under controlled conditions of temperature (10; 20; 30; or 40ºC), water activity (0.13; 0.30; 0.51; 0.76) or oxygen (0 [under nitrogen]; 2.5; 10 or 21% [air]). Oxygen was the main cause of degradation followed by temperature. An Arrhenius kinetic model was used to show that carotenoid breakdown followed first order kinetics with an activation energy of 68.3kJ.mol-1 that was in accordance with the literature. Experimental observations fitted well with data predicted by the kinetic model. The formation of the volatile compounds,b-ionone; 5,6-epoxy-b-ionone; dihydroactinidiolide; b-cyclocitral that were clearly related to the degradation of b-carotene, helped further understand breakdown patterns of b-carotene.

Two of the major challenges to agriculture are the effective management of inputs involved in production and the impact of climate change on production. In Malaysia, as in other countries, input costs across rice farms within a particular year are highly variable, suggesting that there is scope for improving the efficiency of production. Climate change, particularly in the form of changed temperatures and rainfall, is likely to affect rice yields. In this thesis, we focus first on technical efficiency associated with rice producing farms in three granary areas in Malaysia. Technical efficiency (TE) was measured using non-parametric (DEA) and parametric approaches (SFA). For DEA, TE was analysed for the input-oriented approach in which inputs are minimised for a given level of rice production while for SFA, Translog production functions were used to represent the efficiency frontier of the industry. Primary data for a season of rice production were collected in 2010/ 2011; sample size was 100 farmers for each of three granaries: MADA, situated in the north of Peninsular Malaysia, KADA in the west and PBLS in North West Selangor. Results showed that, under the constant returns to scale (CRS) assumptions, KADA showed the lowest average efficiency at 65.2%. The other two granaries can also maintain output while reducing inputs: by approximately 27% in both cases. All efficiencies were greater under the variable returns to scale (VRS) assumption, with the differences between CRS and VRS values for KADA suggesting a considerable amount of scale inefficiency within this region. Results using the SFA approach were slightly higher as compared to TE from DEA. All methods used suggested that efficiency of rice production in Malaysia could be improved. Tobit regression was applied to indicate the relationship between TE and farm characteristics and management factors. Factors such as race, ownership, soils and variety were identified to have significant effects on the level of efficiency. With respect to climate change, to assess future rice yields, the DSSAT model was used to predict yields for the 2050s and 2080s by using generated weather data under alternative climate change scenarios. The results showed that climate change has a largely detrimental impact on rice yield in the future; the longer climate change exists, the worse the impact. For every 1% increase in temperature, yield was estimated to fall in a range of 7% to 21%. As yield was predicted to be less due to climate change, other things being equal, efficiency would fall as well. In Malaysia the rice industry has been sustained, in part, by government intervention, especially input subsidy. In the future, adaptation to climate change should have a higher priority, as should policies that help the industry to sustain itself through improved competitiveness rather than from government subsidy.

Master of Science / Department of Grain Science and Industry / Sajid Alavi / There is a renewed focus on biodegradable polymers in packaging applications due to environmental concerns associated with conventional plastics. Melt extrusion was used to synthesize nanocomposites from poly (lactic acid) (PLA) or poly (butylene succinate) (PBS) blended with natural nanofillers — chitin whiskers (CHW, 1-5%), nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC, 1-5%) or lignin-coated nanocrystalline cellulose (LNCC, 3%). Transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction indicated that the natural nanofillers were uniformly dispersed in the polymer matrix. For PLA based nanocomposites, differential scanning calorimetry showed a decrease in change of heat capacity at glass transition (ΔCp) with increased nanofiller addition, indicating greater confinement of polymer chains. For PBS based nanocomposites, nanofillers acted as nucleating agents and promoted recrystallization of polymer as reflected in increase of degree of crystallinity (Xc) from 65.9-66.8 to 75.6%. By addition of NCC and CHW, tensile strength (TS) of PLA based films increased from 50.2 MPa to 70.9 MPa and 52.1 MPa, respectively, while TS of PBS increased from 23.2-24.9 MPa to 32.9 MPa and 43.6 MPa, respectively. Elongation at break (E%) of nanocomposite films ranged from 9.1 to 15.3, and in general decreased with addition of nanofillers. LNCC did not significantly improve mechanical properties of PBS and PLA films. Additionally, 3% NCC addition reduced oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of PLA from 209.9 to 180.8 cc/m[superscript]2/day, which further reduced to 109.3 cc/m[superscript]2/day by adding compatibilizer methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI, 4%). Water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of PLA also reduced from 44.4 to 28.6 g/m[superscript]2/day with 3% NCC and 4% MDI addition. Similarly OTR and WVTR of PBS decreased from 737.7 to 280 cc/m[superscript]2/day and 83.8 to 49.4 g/m[superscript]2/day, respectively with 3% NCC. Use of 4% MDI further reduced OTR and WVTR to 23.8 cc/m[superscript]2/day and 30.8 g/m[superscript]2/day, respectively. Use of starch can potentially reduce the costs of bio-based nanocomposites films. Up to 40% starch was incorporated during synthesis of PLA and NCC nanocomposites using solution mixing method. Addition of starch decreased TS from 35.8 MPa to 18.4 MPa and E% from 8.3% to 6.0%. Use of NCC (1%) and MDI (4%) improved the mechanical properties to a certain extent.

Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Allen Featherstone / For the past 25 years, Free Trade Agreements (FTA) in Asia have been increasing. This allows for a potential expansion of exports into Asia for a variety of goods. However usually these agreements have not covered agricultural products. The most recent multilateral agreement currently includes agricultural products and agricultural trade. U.S. pork exports have been on the rise with Asian countries. Trade openness with Asian countries allows U.S. pork companies to gain a market in the region. This thesis estimates the economic impact that FTA’s and multilateral agreements have on pork exports, through the level of open markets measured by Freedom House. Using regression analysis, this research examines the determinants to U.S. pork exports, where trade openness is a major independent variable. Pork is a popular meat preference in East Asia. A regression analysis was estimated to determine the shift along the demand curve of U.S. pork exports to three East Asian countries, China, Japan, and South Korea. Overall all three countries showed their trade openness being weakly associated with the U.S. pork export demand to that particular country during the years of 1995–2013.

Agricultural cooperatives (ACs) are major players in the European Union, where they account for 40-60% of agricultural trade and thus are key actors in articulating rural realities and in shaping the sustainability credentials of European food and farming. Cooperatives, regardless of the sector they operate in, are expected to work for the benefit of their members, show concern for their communities (including sustainable development) and promote cooperative economies. This research analyses to what extent this is happening in the case of ACs. Evidence of how unsustainable and unequal farming in Europe is despite such a strong AC presence raises questions on the role and practices of these cooperatives. Despite their grassroots origins, concerns from civil society and a handful of scholars suggest there is an increase in top-down approaches and corporatisation trends in the sector. This research examines ACs in Spain and the UK (in the context of the EU/CAP framework), examining how the sector has evolved in both countries since its beginnings and analysing trends and factors shaping their current development. Using case study methodology, data from document analysis and 41 interviews with AC members, academics, policy makers and industry and civil society representatives are presented. The findings reveal the two countries have very different farming cooperative sectors, but their largest ACs are adapting to the EU policy context and the increasing concentration of power in the food system by following similar growth and corporatisation strategies. A reaction from social movements is however taking place both in Spain and the UK, where new innovative cooperative models are emerging. Thus, ACs can be placed in a continuum of alterity depending on the degree of embeddedness in industrial or more sustainable food practices. ACs can become disjointed and have their least political components co-opted by the dominant food system (as they fit its logistics model, trade requirements and help concentrate produce). Going beyond the economic perspective that dominates the study of ACs, this research also places a focus on emerging innovative multi-stakeholder governance models. The strategies used to protect their alterity as well as the diverse understandings of food sustainability that different types of cooperatives have and how they reproduce these through their practices are analysed. Given the insufficient explanatory potential of existing theories to accommodate a wide range of realities labelled as cooperatives in food and farming, a new theoretical framework was developed based on the findings of this research. The multilevel framework unravels the different dimensions that constitute cooperatives and their degree of alterity and commitment to sustainable food practices and the wider cooperative movement.

Climate change will exacerbate challenges facing food security in the UK. Increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events will further impact upon farm systems. At the heart of the impending challenges to UK agricultural production, farmers’ resilience will be tested to new limits. Research into farmers’ resilience to climate change in the UK is distinctly underdeveloped when compared to research in developing and other developed nations. This research gap is addressed through exploration of farmers’ resilience in the Welsh Marches, establishing the role of risk perceptions, local knowledge and adaptive capacity in farmers’ decision-making to limit climate shocks. Further contributions to agricultural geography are made through experimentation of a ‘cultural-behavioural approach’, seeking to revisit the behavioural approach in view of the cultural-turn. The Welsh Marches, situated on the English-Welsh border, has been selected as a focal point due to its agricultural diversity, and known experiences of extreme weather events. A phased mixed methodological approach is adopted. Phase one explores recorded and reported experiences of past extreme weather events in local meteorological records and local newspaper articles. Phase two consists of 115 survey-questionnaires, 15 in-depth semi-structured interviews, and a scenario based focus group with selected farmers from the Welsh Marches. This allows farmers’ resilience to climate change in the past, present and future to be explored. Original contributions to knowledge are made through demonstrating the value of focusing upon the culture of a specific farm community, applying a ‘bottom-up’ approach. The priority given to the weather in farmers’ decision-making is identified to be determined by individual relationships that farmers’ develop with the weather. Yet, a consensus of farmers’ observations has established recognition of considerable changes in the weather over the last 30 years, acknowledging more extremes and seasonal variations. In contrast, perceptions of future climate change are largely varied. Farmers are found to be disengaged with the communication of climate change science, as the global impacts portrayed are distant in time and place from probable impacts that may be experienced locally. Current communication of climate change information has been identified to alienate farmers from the local reality of probable future impacts. Adaptation options and responses to extreme weather and climate change are identified from measures found to be already implemented and considered for the future. A greater need to explore local knowledge and risk perception in relation to farmers’ understanding of future climate challenges is clear. There is a need to conduct comparable research in different farm communities across the UK. Progression into establishing the role of farmers’ resilience in responding effectively to future climate challenges has only just begun.

Effects of whole essential oils (EOs) and their constituent compounds (EOCs) on the fermentation activities of rumen microbes and the biohydrogenation (BH) of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were evaluated in four in vitro experiments and one feeding trial . In all the in vitro experiments, rumen fluid was collected from Hartline x Texel cross cull ewes. A basal feedstock comprising of 70:30 grass hay and concentrate was formulated, milled (1mm screen) and then supplemented with 32.5 g oil/kg (40% oil from ground whole linseed and 60% from fish oil). In the first experiment using 15 EOCs, anethole and 4 - allyanisole which were the most effective EOCs reduced the BH of 18:3 n-3 by 22.2% and 26.4%, respectively. But, at 300 mg/L there was a concomitant substantial inhibition of tot al volatile fatty acids (VFA). In the second experiment, out of 10 whole EOs, anise and cassia oils which were the most effective EOs reduced the BH of 18:3 n-3 by 58.2% and 54.3%, respectively. However, protection was accompanied with significant suppress ion of VFA at 300 mg/L. In the third experiment using varying doses (0, 100, 200 and 300 mg/L) of 4 - allylanisole, anethole, anise oil and cassia oil, it was observed that at 200, 4 - allylanisole, anethole and anise oil maintained best balance between satisfactory protection of n-3 PUFA and minimal disruption to VFA concentration. In the fourth experiment , six Hartline x Texel cross lambs were used. Three of the lambs were randomly assigned to the untreated basal diet (BDG) and the remaining three lambs were offered diet with anise oil (AOG ). Rumen fluid collected from each of the BDG and AOG was used in in vitro batch culture system. The AOG maintained higher concentrations of PUFA and lower concentration of stearic acid. Results of these studies indicate that dietary addition of selected EOs and EOCs represent a potential effective strategy to optimize the fatty acid composition of ruminant food products (to be confirmed) . However, whole EOs are more effective than EOCs.

The Kufra region of south eastern Libya comprises an area about 850 km south to north, and some 500 km wide rising to 450 m above sea level. Rainfall is low and agriculture depends on irrigation. Most of the population of Kufra are private farmers who use flood irrigation from shallow wells (19-60 m), but there are co-operatives of farmers that have shared the cost of deeper wells (120 - 150 m) and sprinkler irrigation. The Kufra Agricultural Project (KAP) state farm is made up of 100 circles (farms) each having its own deep well (220 – 352 m) and rotary sprinkler. The experimental work was conducted in three phases. An initial study was made of soil profiles and irrigation water on 4 private and 4 state farms. An inter laboratory study compared results in the KAP and Glasgow University (GU) laboratories. The third phase was a survey of top soils, irrigation water, crop yield and questionnaires for a much larger number of farms. Chapter 3 describes the comparison between chemical analysis results of 33 soils in the KAP and GU laboratories. There was a good level of agreement between the two laboratories. The high correlation coefficients indicate a high level of precision in both laboratories. However there were systematic differences between the two laboratories, results for EC, Ca2+, Mg2+ and Cl- were 2% to 6% lower in the KAP laboratory. There were no significant differences in the results for Na+ and K+ between the laboratories. It is important that all analyses were carried out in one laboratory, so all subsequent samples were sent to the KAP laboratory. Chapter 4 evaluates the quality of irrigation water from 86 wells in the Kufra region in line with FAO and USDA standards for irrigated agriculture. pH, EC, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+ and SAR were not significantly affected in state farms by well depth or age, but were significantly affected in the private farms by well depth, where the values were higher in shallow wells and significantly related to well age. There are two responses to well age related to well depth shown by two distinct lines. The shallow wells (<30 m) show a significant (p< 0.001) increase in EC, Ca2+ and Na+ and significant (p< 0.01) increase in Mg2+ as well age decreases. The deeper wells (>30 m) exhibits no significant effect of well age (p> 0.05). USDA classification indicates that the water of all the wells of private farms is unsuitable for irrigation purposes. The FAO criteria showed that all private wells had limitations on use due to salinity and SAR. (EC: 78% severe, 22% slight/moderate ; SAR: 35% severe, 65% slight/moderate) Chapter 5 describes a survey of soil profiles from state and private farms. Irrigation lowered the salinity of the virgin soil profiles, with a clear distinction observed between the virgin and irrigated profiles for EC and water soluble Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, Cl- and SO42- in state farms, and for EC and water soluble Na+, Cl- and SO42- in private farms. In the virgin soil profiles, these parameters showed a clear decrease with depth, while in the irrigated soil profiles they were much lower in concentration and more uniform with depth. There was no clear trend with depth in irrigated soil profiles for pH, HCO3-, CaCO3%, exchangeable cations, and ESP % in the state farms and for pH, water soluble Ca2+, Mg2+and K+, CaCO3%, exchangeable cations, and ESP% in the private farms. The profile averages for pH, EC, ESP%, water soluble Na+, Cl-, HCO3- and SO42- and exchangeable sodium were significantly greater (t-test, p≤0.05) in the irrigated profiles of private farms than in KAP farms. The irrigated topsoils (0–25 cm) showed similar results except that bicarbonate and sulphate were not significantly different. The second part of chapter 5 describes a larger survey of irrigated topsoils. This showed that the pH, EC, ESP% and exchangeable Na+ were much higher in the private farms compared to state farms soils. According to the USDA classification all state farm soils were classed as normal, while 70% of private farm soils were classed as saline alkaline, 15% normal, 10% saline and 5% alkaline. There was no significant effect of crop type on any soil parameter for state or private farms. There was no significant correlation in the combined data for state and private farms between irrigation water and soil for pH, Ca2+ and Mg2+ but there is for EC, Na+ and SAR. In all the graphs there are 2 clusters of points separating the state and private farms which masks the correlation relationship. Chapter 6 compares the yields of alfalfa and potatoes in the state and private farms. The mean values for dry yield of alfalfa from state (6.32 t/ha) and private (3.06 t/ha) farms were significantly different (p<0.001, pooled t-test). The age of the alfalfa crop had a significant (p<0.001) positive effect on yield in the state farms, but a significant (p<0.001) negative effect in private farms. Crops on the private farms were 2 to 8 years old compared with under 2 years on the state farms. Although there were low yields at high values of water and soil parameters (private farms) and high yields at low values of water and soil parameters (state farms) plotting yield against these parameters shows 2 clusters. Looking at the private farms alone there was no significant correlation between alfalfa yield and any of the quality parameters for soil or water. No potatoes were grown on state farms when the samples were collected, so historical data was used (average yield 40 t/ha). The mean yield of potatoes from private farms was significantly lower (p<0.001) 23.16 t/ha. None of the correlation relationships between crop yield with soil and water quality parameters for private farms was significant. Despite the large differences in soil and irrigation water chemistry between state and private farms, there was no evidence that poor irrigation water quality or soil salinity currently limits production on private farms. Chapter 7 describes the survey of private farmers and shows that 81% of respondents did not consider farming as a professional activity they could rely on, but rather an activity to fill their free time. The study also examined other aspects including the farmers’ education level, the farms’ age, irrigation and the impact of water salinity, types and sources of fertilisers. The study concluded that traditional agricultural systems in this region are not built on a scientific basis, or an adequate knowledge of economic feasibility. Consequently, the production rates of agricultural crops are very low.

Nitrogen (N) fertiliser is one of the main inputs of intensive wheat cropping systems in the UK. The average application of N fertiliser in the UK for winter wheat was 220 kg N ha-1 in 2011, but typically only 50% of this applied N is taken up by the crop. Breeding crops for high N use efficiency (NUE; grain dry matter yield per unit availability of N from soil and/or fertiliser) while maintaining acceptable yield, is widely accepted as one of the approaches to maximise farmers’ revenue and minimise pollution risk by reducing N fertiliser application. NUE is divided into two components; N uptake efficiency (NUpE; crop N uptake per unit availability of N from soil and/or fertiliser) and N utilisation efficiency (NUtE; grain dry matter yield per crop N uptake). NUE can be improved by improving NUpE and /or NUtE. Targeted integration of favourable traits into breeding programmes needs adequate diversity of the existing genotypes. However, genetic diversity of modern bread wheat is narrowed due to chance hybridisation events during wheat evolution and selective breeding for high yield. Hence, it has become necessary to search for novel sources of genetic variation for NUE. One of the sources could be the ancient wheat species, which provide novel resources of genes to improve NUE of modern bread wheat. The overall objective of the current project is to explore favourable physiological traits for NUE in ancient wheat species. Three field experiments, four glasshouse experiments and three growth room experiments were conducted at Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham. The current work can be divided into four main components; (i) investigation of general plant growth and development, (ii) quantification of NUE and its components, (iii) exploration of root architectural traits of seedlings and mature plants, and (iv) identification of seedling root QTLs related to NUpE in a wheat x spelt population. Significant variation for plant establishment and development was identified among wheat species where bread wheat had high plant establishment and faster plant development compared to ancient wheat species. Above ground biomass production of bread wheat, spelt and emmer was either similar or bread wheat was slightly higher at maturity under high N levels (HN). However, high above ground biomass production at zero N (no N fertiliser; NN) was observed in spelt genotypes. High grain yield of bread wheat is due to improved harvest index when compared to tall ancient wheat species. Delayed onset of flag leaf senescence, slow senescence rate and prolonged leaf greenness were observed in some spelt genotypes, especially spelt cv. Oberkulmer and were positively associated with biomass production. Flag leaf length, width, green area, specific leaf area and SPAD values were significantly different between genotypes used in the study. The greatest green area, SPAD value and maximum width were recorded in bread wheat. NUE was higher in bread wheat followed by spelt, emmer and einkorn. Emmer 2 had higher NUpE than spelt, bread wheat and einkorn genotypes. Delayed senescence hence extended green area duration and deep and vigorous root system might have influenced NUpE of spelt genotypes. High fertiliser N recovery rate of emmer 2 may be associated with well distributed, shallow, horizontally grown root system, especially at early plant growth. NUtE of bread wheat is higher than ancient wheat species and closely related to harvest index and reduced plant height. NUtE is more controlled by genetic factors than NUpE. N supply has a negative relationship with NUpE and its components. Relationships between NUE and its components were not consistent between experiments in the study. However, NUpE and NUtE explained more of the variation in NUE under HN than NN. Root system architecture varied significantly between wheat species used in the study. Seminal root characters of the seedling such as tip angle, number of seminal roots, seminal root length and total root length are closely related to mature root systems. Spelt had long seminal roots with narrow tip angles and hence develops deep root system while having a well-developed superficial root system due to nodal roots. Therefore, both top soil scavenging and deep soil foraging occurs efficiently. A large and deep root system contributes significantly to greater above-ground biomass and green area production of spelt. A greater number of seminal roots with wide tip angles help emmer to develop a root system architecture well adapted to take up fertiliser N from the top soil layers, especially in early stage of the plant growth. There is a possibility of using seedling root traits such as total root length and average length of the seminal root to predict NUpE at maturity. Therefore, these traits might be used as selection criteria for crop breeding for efficient N uptake. Emmer had favourable seedling root traits related to NUpE while spelt showed more favourable root traits at for N uptake at maturity than modern bread wheat and einkorn. Root N uptake efficiency and specific absorption rate of N were higher in emmer than spelt, bread wheat and einkorn. Phenotypic evaluation and genetic analysis of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) produced from the cross between Swiss winter wheat variety Forno (Triticum aestivum) and Swiss winter spelt cv. Oberkulmer (T. spelta) was carried out. Two parents of the population were significantly different for a number of traits, including: number of seminal roots, average length of seminal roots, total root length, maximum width, width to depth ratio, tip angle and emergence angle of seminal root. All measured root traits of seedlings of the RILs varied significantly. A total of 26 significant QTLs were identified for seedling root traits. These QTLs were located on ten different chromosomes; 1BS, 2A, 2D, 3A, 3B, 4A, 5A, 5B, 7AL and 7D. QTL coincidence was found for total root length either with number of seminal roots or seminal root length of the seedlings which showed strong phenotypic relationship. RILs F5-10, F5-36, F5-134, F5 146, F5-230 and F5-234 could be efficient genotypes for N uptake at maturity. The contribution of the A genome to the phenotypic variation observed within this cross for the development of the seedling root system is more important than the B and D genomes, as assessed by QTL analysis. Further studies are needed to identify QTLs associated with NUpE and root architectural traits of emmer and spelt. Favourable root traits in emmer and spelt related to NUpE could be introduced to bread wheat through direct crossing or creating synthetic wheat. The introgression of spelt into modern bread wheat will be useful for molecular studies to develop marker assisted breeding for high NUpE.