From the start of the POLYPLOID project to its conclusion, significant progress has been made in understanding the mechanisms and practical applications of polyploidy in plant breeding. The consortium successfully carried out the research plan, promoting cross-sector collaboration, joint publications, and secondments.
The consortium produced high-quality multi-omics resources across various plant systems, including model and crop species such as Paspalum notatum, Eragrostis curvula, Helianthus annuus, Medicago sativa, Solanum species, and Arabidopsis. Using advanced sequencing and phenotyping platforms, the project assembled thirty reference genomes and generated extensive transcriptomic and epigenomic datasets. These datasets supported comparative studies of genome evolution, gene expression, methylation, and transposon mobilization in both natural and synthetic polyploids. Functional analyses identified specific genetic and epigenetic responses to polyploidization, especially pinpointing loci associated with reproductive mode, stress tolerance, and the triploid block, a major barrier in interploidy crosses that is crucial for seed viability. Artificial polyploid lines showing apomictic reproduction and improved agronomic traits (such as better lipid profiles in Paspalum and parthenogenesis in Helianthus) were created and are being registered to aid future breeding efforts.
Several peer-reviewed articles, data resources, and open-access databases have resulted from this work, with outputs actively shared through international conferences, workshops, and dedicated project communication channels. The project’s website, publications, and social media platforms provide ongoing access to genomic, transcriptomic, and marker data, effectively supporting knowledge transfer to the broader plant sciences, seed industry, and biotech stakeholders. Non-academic audiences are engaged through outreach events and collaborations, enhancing the project’s societal and sectoral impact. Artificially derived germplasm from the project is moving forward in registration and testing, with clear potential to improve animal feed quality and crop adaptation in real-world scenarios. The molecular markers and genomic resources already developed are empowering marker-assisted selection and breeding for stress tolerance and reproductive efficiency. By the end of the project, POLYPLOID has filled critical gaps in polyploidy research, providing a comprehensive resource of molecular data, analytical tools, and functional insights. The findings offer new breeding strategies, validated candidate genes, and usable germplasms and markers for industry, academia, and breeders. The collaborative and integrative approach has strengthened interdisciplinary connections and will continue to influence plant biotechnology and agricultural innovation beyond the project’s official conclusion. The final meeting was a moment for discusing the future researches as well as to have the ESR secondees to present the work they carried out during the secondments.
