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Crop Wild Relatives utilisation and conservation for sustainable agriculture

Project description

DEENESFRITPL

Crop wild relatives for climate change-resilient crops

Crop wild relatives (CWRs), counterparts to domesticated crops, are a valuable source of genetic variation in agriculture. However, their utilisation presents challenges. The EU-funded COUSIN project aims to demonstrate the use of CWRs for breeding and farming through COUSIN readiness levels (CRLs). Focused on wheat, barley, pea, lettuce, and brassicas, it will demonstrate how CWRs can address agricultural challenges. The 5-year initiative will prioritise CWR traits, design selection toolboxes, and apply them in breeding programs to meet stakeholder demands. Effective protocols guide the conservation of trait diversity across Europe. A data portal will facilitate access to priority trait information. On-farm pilots and breeding sites will showcase change-resilient climate crops.

Objective

Crop Wild Relatives (CWRs), i.e. the COUSINs of domesticated crops, represent a natural source of genetic variation. The COUSIN consortium recognizes the value of CWRs for agriculture, but also the challenges of their utilisation. Through the COUSIN Readiness Levels (CRLs) we will demonstrate a roadmap for the use of CWRs in breeding and farming. We will work with five flagship crops: wheat, barley, pea, lettuce and brassicas. With these exemplary crops, we demonstrate how current challenges of stakeholders from farm to fork can be overcome using CWRs in formalised and participatory breeding. The COUSIN consortium has unique CWR-related expertise, data and breeding material that allows us to cover the translational pathway from the identification of wild plants to a market-ready crop in a five-year project. For each flagship crop, we identify priority traits of CWRs, design selection toolboxes and apply them in current breeding programmes in order to fulfil current and emerging stakeholders demands. Effective characterisation protocols are designed and will guide conservation of the naturally occurring functional and genetic trait diversity across Europe. Characterisation will occur in- and ex-situ through high-throughput phenotyping, chemotyping and genotyping of priority traits incl. plant-associated microbiomes. Conservation measures cover in-situ reserves and ex-situ collections with the widest possible trait diversity. For easy access of priority trait information and corresponding CWR accessions, a user-friendly data portal will be developed. All collected data will be offered for integration into national and international repositories. Through on-farm pilots and actual breeding sites realised across the European pedoclimatic regions, the value of CWRs will be demonstrated to stakeholders with direct applications for breeders and farmers to provide climate change-resilient crops as a vital means towards sustainable production systems.

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Call for proposal

HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01

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Funding Scheme

HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions

Coordinator

UNIVERSIDAD REY JUAN CARLOS
Net EU contribution
€ 675 192,50
Address
CALLE TULIPAN
28933 Mostoles
Spain

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Region
Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost
€ 675 192,50

Participants (18)

Partners (6)

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Last update: 21 November 2023

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Permalink: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101135314

European Union, 2024