Project description
F1 hybrid production for food security
Food security is a major challenge, with experts predicting a need to double food production by 2050. While crops like maize and wheat are prioritised, the Cucurbitaceae family is essential for food security due to its cultural and medicinal value. F1 hybrid cultivars contribute significantly to the food supply, but producing their seeds requires controlled pollination, especially in monoecious and andromonoecious species. The ERC-funded HybridSeed project will create plant prototypes that reduce F1 hybrid seed production costs and improve yields. It will use genetic insights into unisexual and hermaphrodite flowers to engineer more stable sexual types. The prototypes will be grown under conditions similar to those of seed companies and producers.
Objective
The food security on the planet is still a challenge. Experts predict that we will need to double food production in order to feed a population projected to reach 9,2 billion by 2050. Crop improvement should not only focus on species such as maize, wheat and soybean. Many other crops contribute to food security.
The Cucurbitaceae family is positioned in front list of plant families for the number of species used as human food and for cultural, medicinal, and botanical significance. According to FAO estimate, despite a large growing area improving yield of many Cucurbitaceae crops could significantly add to food security.
F1 hybrid cultivars have made a significant contribution to the world's food supply. Yet, one of the continuing challenges of plant breeding is still to master production of F1 hybrid seeds in many crops. The production of F1 hybrid seeds requires controlled pollination to ensure that the seed descent is indeed resulting from a crossing and not from a self-fertilization.
Most of cultivated Cucurbitaceae species are monoecious or andromonoecious. The use of these two sexual morphs for F1 hybrid production requires hand emasculation and hand pollination of the female parental line. Furthermore, monoecious and andromonoecious sexual morphs are usually hurdles for yield improvement and yield stability.
HybridSeed project aims to engineer plant prototypes with the goal to (i) reduce the cost of F1 hybrid seed production, (ii) improve yields of F1 hybrid plants, and (iii) simplify the itinerary of the crops, from the seed companies to the producers. HybridSeed technology is built on the knowledge of the genes controlling the development of unisexual and hermaphrodite flowers and their use to engineer sexual types that do not exist in nature, or more stable than those currently existing. The produced plant prototypes will be grown in conditions approaching seed companies and producer conditions and evaluated for yield and yield stability.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology other engineering and technologies food technology
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy planetary sciences planets
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture grains and oilseeds cereals
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2022-POC1
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
75007 Paris
France
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.