Aim - To research novel characterization techniques and conservation strategies for European crop wild relative and landrace diversity, and further to enhance crop improvement by breeders, as a means of underpinning European food security in the face of climate change. Background - In 2007, the European Commission published â??Adaptation to Climate Change in the Agricultural Sectorâ? which highlighted the adverse impact of long-term climate change and extreme weather events on loss of natural adaptation and diversity, especially in the Mediterranean where crop yields are predicted to decrease by up to 40%. The report concludes that there is a need to take adaptive action, such as breeding of heat / pest / disease resistant cultivars and recommends support to screen genetic resources, then identify and promote the use of adaptive traits in breeding resistant cultivars. The breeding of such cultivars demands a wider pool of crop wild relative (CWR) and landrace (LR) diversity to supply the mitigating traits, but changing ecological conditions will increasingly threaten this critical CWR and LR diversity. Thuiller et al. (2005) estimate a loss of 27-42% of plant species (including CWR) in Europe by 2080 and the threat to LR diversity is likely to be equally catastrophic (Veteläinen et al., 2009). Consequently, to maintain consumer choice and food security in Europe, it is essential to ensure CWR and LR diversity is systematically conserved and made available to breeders. To facilitate such use, diversity needs to be characterized and evaluated, but traditionally this has been achieved by large-scale field trials, which are costly and often imprecise. Therefore, there is now an urgency to develop novel characterization methods that ensure trait data are disseminated more efficiently to the breeders / germplasm user community. Research Approach - To achieve its aim the project will include four research themes split into five research workpackages, plus dissemination and management workpackages: 1. Novel characterization techniques, including: (1a) Genomics, phenotyping and metabolomics, (1b) Transcriptomics, (1c) Focused Identification of Germplasm Strategy. 2. CWR and LR conservation, including: (2a) Europe-wide CWR inventory, (2b) Exemplar national CWR inventories, (2c) European CWR strategy, (2d) Europe-wide LR inventory, (2e) Exemplar national LR inventories, (2f) European LR strategy. 3. Facilitating breedersâ?? CWR and LR use, including: (3a) Identifying breedersâ?? needs, (3b) Meeting breedersâ?? needs, (3c) Integration of conservation and user communities. 4. Informatics development, including: (4a) CWR and LR inventory information web availability, (4b) Novel characterization information web availability, (4c) Inter-information system operability. The project, initiated by the European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources In Situ and On-Farm Conservation Network will involve 42 European countries, as well as both large and smaller European plant breeding companies. Duration - Three years (to start in March 2011)
Vastaava tutkija
Heinonen Maarit Hankkeen kesto 2011 - 2014
Asiasanat
genetic characterisation, climate change, plat breeding, crop wild relatives, landraces
Hankkeen vaihe: päättynyt
HUOM! Tämä tutkimushankekuvaus on tuotettu Hankehaaviin Maa- ja elintarviketalouden tutkimuskeskuksen tutkimustietojärjestelmästä, jota ei enää ylläpidetä. Tarkista ajantaiset tutkimushanketiedot Luonnonvarakeskus Luken järjestelmästä.
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