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Project title

WheatSecurity

Primary Funding Agency

DAFM

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

University College Dublin (UCD)

Lead Applicant

n/a

Project Abstract

WheatSecurity will harness genetic resources and agrobiodiversity in order to increase the resilience and sustainability of wheat production in biogeographically and climatically diverse zones across the EU. The study aims cultivate diverse germplasm panel in sites across Europe under sustainable cultivation conditions (reduced nitrogen, biostimulants, etc.), and assess agronomic performance, quality, abiotic and biotic stress resistance/tolerance, as well as interaction with microbial ecosystem components. Based on both demonstrator field trials and contained environment studies, the resilience of diverse wheat germplasm to environmental conditions and to multiple stress responses, alone and in combination, will be assessed and demonstrated to end-users (farmers, breeders, processors, policy makers) based on a combination of traditional and high throughput phenotyping, genome-wide association studies, transcriptomics, and DNA-based microbiome studies of roots, leaves and flowering wheat heads. Grain nutritional quality and industrial processing quality will be assessed. Network and association studies will be used to decipher the linkages between plant performance and genotype x environment x management interactions, and test the hypothesis that it is possible to support crop-health through genotype x microbiome interactions. These studies will enhance our understanding of the resilience of genotypes and haplotypes, and guide the development of ideotypes adapted to specific environmental niches. This project will increase the reference database of phenotypes and functional genotypes for accessions under stressed environments, delineating progenitors that can be used to maximise biodiversity and multi-environment, multi-stress resilience. This research will also demonstrate how we can rapidly expedite the development of cultivars imbued with morpho-physiological features that meet the EU Green Deal ecological objectives. Thus, WheatSecurity will improve our understanding of ecosystem functions and enhance our ability to increase the functional genetic diversity base of wheat, thereby enhancing the sustainability of Europe�s food production systems.

Grant Approved

�2,110,708.64

Research Hub

n/a

Research Theme

Ireland's Future Climate, its Impacts, and Adaptation Options

Start Date

01/01/2023

Initial Projected Completion Date

31/12/2025