Boosting photosynthESis To deliver novel CROPs for the circular bioeconomy

Project Information

BEST-CROP

Grant agreement ID: 101082091

DOI

10.3030/101082091

EC signature date 21 April 2023

Start date 1 July 2023

End date 30 June 2028

Funded under

• Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

Total cost

€ 5 126 293,75

EU contribution

€ 5 126 293,75

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MILANO
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BEST-CROP (Boosting photosynthESis To deliver novel CROPs for the circular bioeconomy)

Reporting period: 2023-07-01 to 2024-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

There is a need for a ground-breaking technology to boost crop yield (both grains and biomass) and its processing into economically competitive materials. Novel cereals with enhanced photosynthesis and assimilation of green-house gasses, such as carbon dioxide and ozone, and tailored straw suitable for industrial manufacturing open a new perspective for the circular economy. BEST-CROP is aimed to address these challenges by relying on an alliance of academic plant scientists teaming up with plant breeding companies and straw processing companies to use the major advances in photosynthetic knowledge to improve barley biomass and to exploit the variability of barley straw quality and composition. Specifically, BEST-CROP adopt the most promising strategies to improve the photosynthetic properties and ozone assimilation capacity of barley by: i) tuning leaf chlorophyll content and modifying canopy architecture; ii) increasing the kinetics of photosynthetic responses to changes in irradiance; iii) introducing photorespiration bypasses; iv) modulating stomatal opening, thus increasing the rate of carbon dioxide fixation and ozone assimilation. We expect that by improving our targeted traits we will achieve increases in above ground total biomass production without modification of grain yield, with added benefits in sustainability via better resource-use efficiency of water and nitrogen. In parallel, the resulting barley straw is tailored to: i) increase straw protein content to make it suitable for the development of alternative bio-lubricants and feed sources; ii) control cellulose/lignin contents and lignin properties to develop straw-based construction panels and polymer composites. Overall, by exploiting natural- and induced-genetic variability as well as gene editing and transgenic engineering, BEST-CROP will lead to multi-purposes next generation barley cultivars supporting sustainable agriculture and capable of straw-based applications.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During this initial 18-month reporting period, twenty barley lines with either modified straw lignin content or increased protein levels have been identified. These lines will be used for trait pyramiding, together with lines characterized by improved canopy photosynthesis efficiency. Furthermore, protocols for organizing field trials in different locations — including field management strategies, sowing densities, and nitrogen levels — have been outlined, together with a detailed description of the physiological and morphological traits to be measured. In addition, the data management plan, based on the Germinate database, has been organized and guidelines and templates for uploading data to the BEST-CROP Germinate database provided. During RP1, the development of the Plan of Activities to Exploit Results (PAER) – prepared by FRD-CODEM in collaboration with the Innovation and Exploitation Team (IET), has been also designed to maximize the impact of the proposed solutions and facilitate the transition towards industrial and commercial adoption. The BEST-CROP Communication and Dissemination Plan (CDP) has been also organized. Finally, the Executive Board appointed Prof. Giovanni Savoini as Ethics Advisor, recognizing his expertise in animal nutrition and his role at EFSA.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

During RP1, experimental activities were primarily conducted with the aim to improve light distribution across the canopy, to enhance rapid responses to irradiance changes, to implement carbon-positive photorespiration bypass routes and to overcome stomatal limitations for CO2 and O₃ uptake. Moreover, barley straw quality is being enhanced by isolating lines with differential cellulose/lignin content and lignin properties, making them suitable for construction and bio-composite applications. Additionally, barley lines with increased protein content have been identified for use in animal feed and green chemistry sectors.
These novel lines offer key advantages in:
1. increasing barley productivity - by increasing the productivity of barley (both grain and biomass) up to 5-10%, BEST-CROP could contribute to almost 8 Mt more grain and 5 Mt more removable straw.
2. providing sustainable raw materials for construction and composites - Straw with various lignin content and properties can be used as raw material for different manufacturing pipelines. This includes mycelium-based and straw-based panels and composites for the construction and composite sectors. In the past 20 years, the production volume of wood-based panels for building and construction has almost doubled from approximately 180 million m3 in 2000 to over 368 million m3 in 2020.
3. enabling sustainable production of biolubricants and proteins - by gaining oils from Black Soldier Fly Larvae fed with protein-enriched barley straw, BEST-CROP will deliver sustainable solutions for the oleochemical industry as well as proteins for feed.

Overview of the main objectives and products of BEST-CROP. Next generation barley plants with optim