Resilient and environmentally sustainable engineered crops to address climate change

Project Information

Crop4Clima

Grant agreement ID: 101113038

DOI

10.3030/101113038

Project closed

EC signature date 20 March 2023

Start date 1 May 2023

End date 31 December 2025

Funded under

• The European Innovation Council (EIC)

Total cost

€ 2 475 562,50

EU contribution

€ 2 475 562,50

Coordinated by

EVOGENE LTD
Israel

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Crop4Clima (Resilient and environmentally sustainable engineered crops to address climate change)

Reporting period: 2023-05-01 to 2024-04-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

As global populations rise and climate change intensifies, agriculture faces severe challenges from droughts and heat waves. Crop4Clima addresses these issues by developing innovative crops that thrive in arid conditions, assimilate more CO2, improve yields, and maintain high quality.

Our initial focus is rapeseed (canola), known for its adaptability, high yield, and nutritional benefits. By integrating the groundbreaking TaCo pathway—validated by the FET Open project FutureAgriculture—we enhance carbon uptake, drought tolerance, and reduce water and fertilizer needs. Our goal is to produce rapeseed that absorbs 60% more CO2 and uses 20% less water.

Through agronomical practices, we optimize and validate this revolutionary pathway, paving the way for a sustainable and low-impact food supply chain.

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

In the first year of the project, our focus was on producing lines expressing the TaCo pathway, calibrating the growth of rapeseed under drought conditions, and measuring the impact of drought throughout the crop life cycle.

We calibrated the growth parameters under both normal and drought irrigation regimes for four rapeseed varieties. During these trials, we collected and calibrated phenological and physiological measurements for use in validation trials.

Based on the calibration trial measurements, we decided to concentrate on three leading varieties. We have successfully developed a fully calibrated genetic transgenic protocol for the first rapeseed variety. Using this protocol, we produced transgenic plants that fully express the TaCo pathway. The seeds from these plants will be used for trials under both normal and drought irrigation regimes. Additionally, the development of TaCo-expressing plants from two additional varieties is ongoing.

We plan to commence validation trials within few a months.

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)

Through meticulous trials, Crop4Clima is set to demonstrate the efficacy and potential of resilient rapeseed crops, addressing the growing demand for sustainable and low-impact food supply chains. By leveraging the power of metabolic optimization, our technology not only enhances rapeseed but also paves the way for application to other major C3 crops, including soybean, cotton, potato, wheat, rice, and barley.

Our innovative crops offer significant benefits to farmers' associations, including reduced irrigation and fertilization costs, the ability to grow on marginal land without sacrificing productivity or quality, and a substantial reduction in their carbon footprint. As climate change reshapes agricultural land suitability, particularly in southern Europe and developing nations, our technology will enable crops to thrive in increasingly harsh conditions, contributing to global food security and sustainable agricultural practices for the future.

TaCo photorespiration bypass

Natural photorespiration route

TaCo pathway