Exploring the Benefits of Integrating the Biological Nitrification Inhibition (BNI)   Trait into Winter Wheat to Enhance Nitrogen Use Efficiency: Establishing BNI in Winter Wheat & Developing a Comprehensive Nitrogen Assessment Platform for Global Potential									
									
	
					Year Awarded   2024	
			
			FFAR award amount   $1,932,367		
			
			Total award amount   $14,492,754		
			
			Location   Texcoco, Mexico		
			
			Matching Funders   Novo Nordisk Foundation		
			
			Grantee Institution   CIMMYT		
	 
													
						The biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) trait has the potential to improve nitrogen use efficiency and soil health by stabilizing nitrogen reserves within the root zone of crops. This project seeks to introduce the BNI trait into winter wheat using next generation breeding technologies that reduce generation time, conserve resources and increase the number of generations per year.  The goal is to deliver winter wheat with improved nitrogen use efficiency, high yield and adaptability. In addition, the researchers are developing a comprehensive platform to better measure and assess nitrogen cycling, helping to determine the BNI trait’s contribution to improving nitrogen use efficiency in wheat production systems.