Marjo Keskitalo

Research topics: Diversification of crop production through new crops and cultivation methods. Development of crop rotation and intercropping systems to improve yield stability, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity, and to support adaptation to climate change. Production technologies for legumes (faba bean, lupin, lentil, soybean, chickpea) and oil crops (oil hemp, camelina, oilseed flax), pseudocereals (buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth) and specialty cereals (millet, Kernza®), as well as spice crops (caraway, coriander), dye plants (woad, tansy, nettle), and perennial crops suitable for peatland soils (e.g. angelica, valerian, meadowsweet, reed canary grass, cattail) for the production of food and non-food raw materials. Farm-scale methods to increase the value of harvested crops. Genetic resources research on caraway and oilseed flax. Areas of expertise: Crop production diversification, field-scale diversity, carbon sequestration, climate change adaptation, food production, novel crops, legumes and oil crops, pseudocereals, specialty cereals, spice crops, dye plants, preceding crops, crop rotation, intercropping, yield physiology, on-farm value addition, secondary metabolites.