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Promoting a Plant Genetic Resource Community for Europe

Project description

DE EN ES FR IT PL

Innovative research infrastructure for plant genetic resources

Europe is rich in plant genetic resources (PGRs), which occur on farms, in gardens and in nature (in situ), and are conserved in gene banks (ex situ). In fact, more than 2 million plant accessions are preserved ex situ in more than 400 institutes in Europe and associated countries, and even more in situ in European farmlands and wild habitats. All these play a central role in ensuring Europe’s green transition, food security and climate change mitigation. However, accurate information about both is lacking. In this context, the EU-funded PRO-GRACE project will develop the concept of a novel research infrastructure dedicated to the conservation and study of PGRs that will describe the proposed distributed structure, governance, economic plan and scientific services.

Objective

Plants are the basis of all food, feed and renewable bioenergy production and are essential for the transition from a fossil-based to a bio-based economy. Plant Genetic Resources (PGR) play a key role in ensuring this transition, as well as food security and climate mitigation. More than 2 million plant accessions are preserved “ex situ” in 410 institutes in Europe and associated countries and listed in the EURISCO database; even more diversity is found “in situ” in European farmlands and wild habitats, where it contributes significantly to agricultural resilience and climate mitigation. Detailed information on “ex situ” accessions is, at best, fragmentary, while for “in situ” accessions it is almost non-existent. A considerable part of these resources could be lost over the coming decade due to limitations in the “ex-situ” infrastructure and management, climate change, habitat loss, and invasive/alien species. The roadmap 2016 of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) identifies a clear gap in the sector “Plant facilities – unlocking green power”, i.e. the lack of a European Research Infrastructure (RI) specifically dedicated to PGRs. PRO-GRACE will undertake the first step to fill this this gap, by developing the concept of a novel (RI) dedicated to the conservation and study of PGRs. The concept will describe the proposed distributed structure, governance, economic plan and scientific services of the proposed RI, and will be the basis for a full proposal at the next ESFRI call. If implemented, this new RI will aim to catalog, describe, preserve and enhance European plant agrobiodiversity, and translate the results into conservation practices and agricultural innovation, and will collaborate with global organizations dedicated to Plant Genetic Resources and with other established ESFRI RIs working on complementary fields. (eg ELIXIR, EMPHASYS, DISSCO, LIFEWATCH, MIRRI).

Fields of science

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Call for proposal

HORIZON-INFRA-2022-DEV-01

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Funding Scheme

HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions

Coordinator

AGENZIA NAZIONALE PER LE NUOVE TECNOLOGIE, L'ENERGIA E LO SVILUPPO ECONOMICO SOSTENIBILE
Net EU contribution
€ 290 000,00
Address
LUNGOTEVERE GRANDE AMMIRAGLIO THAON DI REVEL 76
00196 Roma
Italy

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Region
Centro (IT) Lazio Roma
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost
€ 290 000,00

Participants (21)

Partners (9)

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Last update: 16 December 2022

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Permalink: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101094738

European Union, 2024