Project description
Boosting heat-resilient tomatoes
Rising global temperatures are making it harder to grow tomatoes, as heat negatively affects their growth and quality. High temperatures reduce fruit yield, making it crucial to find ways to produce heat-tolerant tomato varieties. The key to this may lie in plant cell membranes, where sterols play a role in heat tolerance. Adjusting sterol composition could improve tomatoes’ resilience by affecting root secretions and the surrounding soil microbes. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the SMetRI project is exploring how changes in sterols impact tomato plants under high temperatures. Using advanced lab techniques, it will study the effects of modified sterols. The goal is to create hardier tomatoes, boost food security and promote sustainable farming.
Objective
Rising global temperatures due to climate change are posing significant challenges for tomato production. High temperatures adversely affect fruit yield and quality, necessitating the development of heat-tolerant tomato varieties. Cell membrane function, particularly the role of sterols, is crucial for heat tolerance. This study aims to comprehend how modifying sterol composition can enhance tomato's resilience to high temperatures by influencing root exudate composition and shaping rhizosphere microbial communities. To investigate the mechanisms behind high-temperature tolerance through sterol metabolism manipulation, we outline three specific objectives: (1) To investigate the sterol-mediated impact on compositional changes in root exudates under normal and high-temperature (HT) conditions. (2) To explore the link between modified sterol profile, root exudate composition, and rhizospheric microbial interactions. (3) To evaluate the impact of sterol-modified root exudates on plant performance and resource exchange under normal and HT conditions. Our approach involves utilizing high-throughput technologies, including Gas Chromatography and Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry for lipid and metabolite profiling, as well as next-generation sequencing to analyze the impact of modified sterol metabolism on rhizosphere microorganisms. Additionally, we will assess physiological and phenological parameters to determine the effect of altered sterol metabolism on plant growth in various temperature environments. Given the critical role of Solanaceae family crops, such as tomatoes, in global and European agriculture, this research holds immense potential for enhancing food security and promoting sustainable agriculture. Moreover, it opens doors to innovative approaches for improving plant performance, reducing reliance on agrochemicals, and fostering beneficial plant-soil-microbe interactions.
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.
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture horticulture fruit growing
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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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-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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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) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01
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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.
08193 CERDANYOLA DEL VALLES
Spain
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.