Enhancing resource Uptake from Roots under stress in cereal crops (EURoot)

Description:

The overall goal of EURoot was to help farmers to face climate change and meet the societal demand for sustainable agriculture with reduced use of water and fertilizers. The specific objective of EURoot was to enhance the cereal plant capability to acquire water and nutrients through their roots, maintaining growth and performance under stress conditions. A suite of experiments were designed to better understand (i) the genetic and functional bases of root traits involved in soil exploration and resource uptake, (ii) the bio-geochemical properties of the soil, including beneficial association with mycorhizal fungi, influencing extraction of nutrient and water by the root system, and (iii) the plant signaling processes involved in soil environment sensing and responsible for adaptive root system response enhancing soil exploration and resource acquisition. The results were translated into screening methods, models and tools (markers, biochemical signatures) to guide the challenging breeding for improved root traits allowing enhanced water and nutrient capture. 

Project information

Lead

CENTRE DE COOPERATION INTERNATIONAL EN RECHERCHE AGRONOMIQUE POUR LE DEVELOPPEMENT (CIRAD), France

Partners

1. CENTRE DE COOPERATION INTERNATIONAL EN RECHERCHE AGRONOMIQUE POUR LE DEVELOPPEMENT (CIRAD), FRANCE

2. CENTRE DE RECERCA AGRIGENÒMICA CONSORCI, SPAIN

3. EIDGENÖSSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZÜRICH, SWITZERLAND

4. FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JUELICH, GERMANY

5. INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE AGRONOMIQUE, FRANCE

6. RADBOUD UNIVERSITY NIJMEGEN, NETHERLANDS

7. RHEINISCHE FRIEDRICH-WILHELMS-UNIVERSITAET BONN, GERMANY

8. THE JAMES HUTTON INSTITUTE, UNITED KINGDOM

9. UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNA, ITALY

10. UNIVERSITE CATHOLIQUE DE LOUVAIN, BELGIUM

11. UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN, UNITED KINGDOM

12. UNIVERSITY OF LANCASTER, UNITED KINGDOM

13. THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM

14. UNIWERSYTET SLASKI, POLAND

15. SOCIETA PRODUTTORI SEMENTI, ITALY

16. DELLEY SAMEN UND PFLANZEN, SWITZERLAND

17. PRESENS PRECISION SENSING, GERMANY

18. AUSTRALIAN CENTRE FOR PLANT FUNCTIONAL GENOMICS, AUSTRALIA

19. JAPAN INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH CENTER FOR AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES, JAPAN

20. PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY, USA

Source of funding

European Commission - FP7, Total cost: € 4.751.655, EU contribution: €2,999,996