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Empowering root-targeted strategies to minimize abiotic stress impacts on horticultural crops

Objective

ROOTOPOWER aims to develop a multidisciplinary suite of new tools targeted to the root system to enhance agronomic stability and sustainability of dicotyledonous crops under multiple and combined abiotic stresses: salinity, water stress, soil compaction and low fertilizer (N, P, K) input. Central to our approach is the use of tomato as a model species since it can be very easily grafted (usual commercial practise). This surgical technique allows precise assessment of the effect of altering root traits on crop performance independently of any shoot traits, since the scion (shoot) is constant. This project will analyze and exploit the natural genetic variability existing in a recombinant inbred line population (RIL) from a cross between Solanum lycopersicum and S. pimpinellifolium and other selected mutants and functional lines (used as rootstocks) for their performance under multiple abiotic stresses and for their biotic interaction with natural soil microorganisms (mycorrhiza and rhizobacteria). The key research challenges are: (i) to identify stress-resistant root systems and rhizosphere microorganisms (and their synergisms) for enhanced resistance to individual and combined abiotic stresses; and (ii) to understanding the underlying genetic and physiological mechanisms, which are potentially fundamental to all crops, and readily exploited in dicotyledonous crops. This project will first identify genetic variation and quantitative trait loci (QTL) that allow tomato roots to confer crop resistance to a range of abiotic stresses, alone or in association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and/or plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). This approach will establish the physiological and signalling processes conferred by key QTLs, and identify candidates for the causative genes by obtaining near isogenic lines (NILs) for selected QTLs. The validity of the knowledge generated will be confirmed in tomato and other species within the timeframe of the project.

Call for proposal

FP7-KBBE-2011-5
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Coordinator

AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS
Address
Calle Serrano 117
28006 Madrid
Spain

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Activity type
Research Organisations
Administrative Contact
Guillermo Sanjuanbenito (Mr.)
EU contribution
€ 919 900

Participants (12)

UNIVERSITE CATHOLIQUE DE LOUVAIN
Belgium
EU contribution
€ 436 880
Address
Place De L Universite 1
1348 Louvain La Neuve

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Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Administrative Contact
Cécile Sibille (Ms.)
THE UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK
United Kingdom
EU contribution
€ 22 822,40
Address
Kirby Corner Road - University House
CV4 8UW Coventry

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Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Administrative Contact
Sue Partridge (Ms.)
UNIVERSITY OF LANCASTER
United Kingdom
EU contribution
€ 299 682,80
Address
Bailrigg
LA1 4YW Lancaster

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Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Administrative Contact
Helen Boulton (Ms.)
INSTITUTO VALENCIANO DE INVESTIGACIONES AGRARIAS
Spain
EU contribution
€ 220 092
Address
Carretera De Moncada Km 10.7
46113 Moncada Valencia

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Activity type
Other
Administrative Contact
Tomas Solano (Mr.)
UNIVERSITY OF CUKUROVA
Türkiye
EU contribution
€ 173 600
Address
.
01330 Adana

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Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Administrative Contact
Nesrin Gucluer (Ms.)
STICHTING WAGENINGEN RESEARCH
Netherlands
EU contribution
€ 166 060
Address
Droevendaalsesteeg 4
6708 PB Wageningen

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Activity type
Research Organisations
Administrative Contact
Leny Versteeg-Brouwer
SAT N 9895 AGRICOLA PERICHAN SCP
Spain
EU contribution
€ 76 200
Address
Camino Real - Canada De Gallego 1
30876 Mazarron

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Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Administrative Contact
Santiago Rodriguez De Medina (Mr.)
UNIGENIA SEMILLAS SL
Spain
EU contribution
€ 180 000
Address
Avenida Trece De Octubre 107
30710 Los Alcazares

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Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Administrative Contact
Ginés Arnau (Mr.)
AGROCARE NIEUWE DWARSWEG 1 BV
Netherlands
EU contribution
€ 47 880
Address
Honderdland 433
2676 LV Maasdijk

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Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Administrative Contact
Martijn Roobol (Mr.)
INOQ GMBH
Germany
EU contribution
€ 107 089,60
Address
Solkau 2
29465 Schnega

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Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Administrative Contact
Carolin Schneider (Dr.)
UNIVERSIDAD MIGUEL HERNANDEZ DE ELCHE
Spain
EU contribution
€ 59 999,99
Address
Avenida De La Universidad S-n
03202 Elche

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Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Administrative Contact
Rafael Gandia Balaguer (Mr.)
CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY
United Kingdom
EU contribution
€ 287 242,21
Address
College Road
MK43 0AL Cranfield - Bedfordshire

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Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Administrative Contact
Martin Ellis (Mr.)