# Aarhus University

researchers screened 18 benzoxazinoids and found seven (BOA, MBOA, DIBOA, DIMBOA) strongly suppress Nitrosomonas europaea; BNI wheat lines with a Leymus racemosus fragment inhibited nitrification up to two-fold more than the parent.

Source: https://en.bioecon.ru/companies/aarhus-university/
Updated: 2026-07-07

- Country: Denmark

## Verifiable facts

| Fact | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Affiliation | Aarhus University, Department of Agroecology - Crop Health | https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/projects/biological-nitrification-inhibition-bioni-a-novel-highthroughput-/ |
| Research focus | Biological Nitrification Inhibition (BNI), benzoxazinoids (BXs) in wheat, chemical ecology, and sustainable crop production | https://agro.au.dk/en/current-news/news/show/artikel/when-wheat-learns-to-protect-the-nitrogen, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111303, https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/projects/biological-nitrification-inhibition-bioni-a-novel-highthroughput-/, https://www.au.dk/en/jawameer@agro.au.dk/ |
| Facility | Aarhus University research station in Flakkebjerg | https://agro.au.dk/en/current-news/news/show/artikel/when-wheat-learns-to-protect-the-nitrogen, https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/projects/biological-nitrification-inhibition-bioni-a-novel-highthroughput-/, https://www.millingjournal.com/article/1145276/study-highlights-wheats-potential-to-improve-nitrogen-efficiency-naturally, https://www.the-microbiologist.com/news/slow-down-microbes-when-wheat-learns-to-protect-the-nitrogen/9202.article |
| Grant | Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF) BioNI project (Grant No. NNF22SA0078638) and CropSustaiN/AU-AGRO project (Sub-grant Agreement No. GWP-2024-115) | https://agro.au.dk/en/current-news/news/show/artikel/when-wheat-learns-to-protect-the-nitrogen, https://dca.au.dk/en/current-news/news/show/artikel/when-wheat-learns-to-protect-the-nitrogen, https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/projects/biological-nitrification-inhibition-bioni-a-novel-highthroughput-/ |
| Publications | Benzoxazinoids as candidate compounds for biological nitrification inhibition in wheat (Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 2026) | https://agro.au.dk/en/current-news/news/show/artikel/when-wheat-learns-to-protect-the-nitrogen, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111303, https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/projects/biological-nitrification-inhibition-bioni-a-novel-highthroughput-/, https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/publications/benzoxazinoids-as-candidate-compounds-for-biological-nitrificatio/, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0981942826002895 |
| Principal staff | Jawameer Hama, Purna Kumar Khatri, Inge S. Fomsgaard, Hans Thordal-Christensen, Cecile Gubry-Rangin, Kristian Koefoed Brandt, Bente B. Laursen | https://agro.au.dk/en/current-news/news/show/artikel/when-wheat-learns-to-protect-the-nitrogen, https://dca.au.dk/en/current-news/news/show/artikel/when-wheat-learns-to-protect-the-nitrogen, https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/projects/biological-nitrification-inhibition-bioni-a-novel-highthroughput-/, https://www.au.dk/en/jawameer@agro.au.dk/ |
| Headcount | Approximately 392 employees (Department of Agroecology, 2025) | https://agro.medarbejdere.au.dk/fileadmin/ingen_mappe_valgt/_default/Self-evaluation_report_2025_AGRO.pdf, https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/projects/biological-nitrification-inhibition-bioni-a-novel-highthroughput-/ |

Independent sources: agro.au.dk, agro.medarbejdere.au.dk, au.dk, dca.au.dk, doi.org, millingjournal.com, pure.au.dk, sciencedirect.com, the-microbiologist.com

## Technologies

- [Biological nitrification inhibitors](https://en.bioecon.ru/technology/biological-nitrification-inhibitors/)
