Objective
Diversifying arable cropping systems with novel crops is key to the agroecological transition. The challenge is to identify species adapted to local, current and future conditions, while enhancing agroecosystem multifunctionality and robustness. Orphan crops - cultivated species neglected by research and breeding - offer great potential for agroecological innovation, especially in simplified temperate systems. Yet a major bottleneck is that the global pool of orphan crop species remains uncharacterised, hindering the identification of promising candidates for diversification. I will overcome this bottleneck by grounding the study of orphan crops in functional ecology. I hypothesize that limited domestication and directional selection give orphan crops distinct positions in the plant functional trait space, generating trait combinations that i) complement major crops, ii) enhance system-level multifunctionality and iii) promote yield robustness under stress. To test this, I will 1) profile the global pool of orphan crops to uncover macroecological patterns in their domestication intensity and functional diversity ; 2) quantify the agroecological niches and diversification potential of orphan cereals, oilseeds, and pulses (3) experimentally investigate the physiological mechanisms underpinning orphan crop yield robustness under abiotic stress, guided by trait-based theory. This cross-scale, integrative approach will generate generalizable principles to guide crop diversification and selection under climate uncertainty. OrphanCrop will provide a timely breakthrough in agricultural science and agroecology, delivering transformative resources for research and breeding communities - including a quantitative criterion of domestication intensity, a global open-access crop trait database, and a cross-species core collection. Together, these outputs will offer a new generation of tools for breeders, farmers, and other stakeholders driving the agroecological transition.
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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.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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.
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-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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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) ERC-2026-STG
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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.
75007 Paris
France
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.