Breeding for Resilience: Focus on Root-based Traits

Call Updates

Oct 12, 2021 12:16:57 PM

Call HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-01 has closed on the 06 October 2021. 71 proposals have been submitted.

The breakdown per topic is: HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-01-13: 11

Evaluation results are expected to be communicated in March 2022

Jun 22, 2021 4:59:06 PM

The submission session is now available for: HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-01-13(HORIZON-RIA)

Breeding for resilience: focus on root-based traits

TOPIC ID: HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-01-13

Programme: Horizon Europe Framework Programme (HORIZON)
Call: Biodiversity and ecosystem services (HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-01)
Type of action: HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions
Type of MGA: HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG]
Deadline model: single-stage
Planned opening date: 22 June 2021
Deadline date: 06 October 2021 17:00:00 Brussels time

Topic description

ExpectedOutcome:

In line with the objectives of the biodiversity and farm to fork strategies, a successful proposal will support the transition to more sustainable practices in agriculture by reducing the need for external inputs and supporting biodiversity in agroecosystems.

The project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• A better understanding of root-based traits (including the capacity to establish beneficial interactions with soil biota) and their genotypic variability as well as increased insight into the (adaptive) phenotypic plasticity of roots;
• Enhanced capacities for root phenotyping under controlled and on-field conditions;
• The delivery of strategies for breeding for below-ground traits capitalising on more effective interactions between plants and microorganisms in the rhizosphere;
• An increased use and valorisation of genetic resources (in situ and ex situ) for root based traits.

On the longer term projects will contribute to: the development of crops (annual and perennial) and forest trees that are more tolerant to abiotic stress conditions, require less external inputs (e.g. fertilisers and pesticides) and show an increased capacity for carbon sequestration, thereby contributing to adaptation of agriculture and forestry to climate change.

Scope:

With increasing effects of climate change and a shift towards low(er) input production systems, there is the need for crops that are capable of capturing resources more efficiently and are resilient to abiotic stresses.

The root system and its interaction with soil biota is crucial for nutrient and water acquisition as well as for the capacity of plants to adapt to changing environments and to be more tolerant against pests and diseases. Phenotypic plasticity is key for plants to respond to varying soil conditions and highly dynamic distribution of soil resources. The size and architecture of the root system also determine the allocation of carbon in the soil. Breeding for root traits is therefore a promising strategy to increase plant stress resilience while also enhancing soil carbon sequestration.

Proposals should:

• Identify root traits that increase resource efficiency of plants in different environments, taking into account beneficial plant – microbe interactions and the restitution of plant-fixed carbon to the soil;
• Increase our knowledge on the (molecular and biochemical) plasticity of root responses and their metabolic mechanisms to environmental cues;
• Improve existing and/or develop new root phenotyping tools (including image analysis protocols) to be used in controlled and on-field conditions, thereby overcoming the root data bottleneck;
• Develop strategies to implement “root breeding”, i.e. select for desirable root characteristics and exploit the genetic variation in root traits.

Activities should be carried out in a range of agronomically relevant soil conditions.

In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement.