ECOBREED
The project ECOBREED (Increasing the efficiency and competitiveness of organic crop breeding) was funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 funding scheme (Grant agreement ID: 771367, start date 1.5.2018, end date 29.2.2024). ECOBREED contributed to the increased competitiveness of breeding and production for organic and low-input farming. The new organic varieties will improve agronomic performance, increase resistance/tolerance to biotic/abiotic stress and quality of food. Training, demonstration, and dissemination activities within the project contributed to better use and innovation in organic farming and the spread of the knowledge among the scientific community and the general public. ECOBREED partners (18 partners in 9 countries) worked together towards the following objectives: Identifying genetic and phenotypic variation in morphological, abiotic/biotic tolerance/resistance and nutritional quality traits that can be used in organic breeding.
- Evaluating the potential for genetic variation in enhanced nutrient acquisition.
- Evaluating the potential for increased weed competitiveness and control.
- Optimising seed production via improved agronomic and seed treatment protocols.
- Providing farmers with the opportunity to choose and develop varieties in their own environment.
- Producing elite varieties for improved agronomic performance, biotic/abiotic stress resistance/tolerance, and nutritional quality.
- Developing training programs to facilitate rapid technology transfer from the project into commercial practice.
- Ensuring optimum and rapid utilisation and exploitation of project results via extensive farm-based demonstration and dissemination activities.