Innovating Works

WILD-ROOTS

Financiado
From wild to crop unravelling the impact of root domestication on drought toler...
Crop domestication revolutionised human life. This process induced changes in plant traits that produced plants that grew faster and generated higher yields. However, remarkably little is known about how plant roots have changed t... Crop domestication revolutionised human life. This process induced changes in plant traits that produced plants that grew faster and generated higher yields. However, remarkably little is known about how plant roots have changed throughout the domestication process. Climate change is causing increasing droughts in many parts of the world. Given that roots are the way that water enters the plant, they are key for understanding drought tolerance. Root traits from crop ancestors could offer a route to increasing drought tolerance of modern crops. To do this, we need to focus our efforts on the impact of domestication on roots and the rhizosphere (the zone around the root including microbes), rather than only aboveground traits as traditionally done. WILD-ROOTS will therefore test the overall hypothesis that crop domestication led to changes in root and rhizosphere traits which decreased the drought tolerance of crops compared to their wild relatives. WILD-ROOTS will make a holistic study of the roots and rhizospheres of a wide range of crops from diverse origins. There will be a focus on root exudation and volatile organic compound (VOC) emission, which are vital root processes that are crucial for many types of interactions with plants, animals, microbes and the soil itself. Changes in root exudates and VOCs have been observed during drought conditions, but their roles in the drought tolerance of plants remains unclear. WILD-ROOTS will (1) evaluate domestication effects on the roots and rhizosphere, then (2) elucidate the mechanisms relating belowground traits to drought tolerance, and finally (3) use this knowledge to modernise crop models and identify belowground traits to be exploited for drought-proofing current crops. The results will reshape our fundamental knowledge of both the crop domestication process and how root exudation influences drought tolerance, as well as offering new approaches to boost the food security of current and future agricultural systems. ver más
30/11/2029
2M€
Duración del proyecto: 68 meses Fecha Inicio: 2024-03-14
Fecha Fin: 2029-11-30

Línea de financiación: concedida

El organismo HORIZON EUROPE notifico la concesión del proyecto el día 2024-03-14
Línea de financiación objetivo El proyecto se financió a través de la siguiente ayuda:
Presupuesto El presupuesto total del proyecto asciende a 2M€
Líder del proyecto
INSTITUT DE RECERCA I TECNOLOGIA AGROALIMENTA... No se ha especificado una descripción o un objeto social para esta compañía.
Perfil tecnológico TRL 4-5 520K