Meeting Working Groups
“Genetic Resources & Breeding”
Vleva Brussels
October 25-26, 2016
WG « Genetic Resources & Breeding »
Activities during 2016
 Acquisition of information about WG members and
definition of WG scope
 Slides revised
 MeWe group established
 Posting of EU documents on MeWe group
 Participation to SIRA revision (v2016 )
Discussion of activities conducted during 2016
WG composition
Temporary animator: Teodoro Cardi, CREA (Council for Agricultural
Research and Economics, Research Centre for Vegetable Crops),
Italy, [email protected])
Participants’ country
Al
ba
Be nia
l
Cz B gium
ec u
h lga
Re ri
pu a
De blic
nm
a
E s rk
to
n
Fr ia
G e an c
rm e
a
Gr ny
ee
ce
Ita
l
L y
Lit atvi
Ne hu a
th ani
er a
la
Po nds
rt
Ro uga
m l
an
Un
ia
ite
S
d pa
Ki i n
ng
do
m
WG Participants (August 3, 2016): 51
• Single participation: 24
N. 14
• Combined w/ other WG:
12
10
o Greenhouse Crops: 9
8
o Fertilization & Irrigation: 10
6
o Integrated Pest
4
2
Management: 11
0
o Quality: 13
WG composition
(based on responses to the questionnaire)
29 responses
WG composition
(based on responses to the questionnaire) (cont.d)
Objectives (general)
 To create a discussion forum for EU and associated countries
researchers involved in collection, characterization, valorization
and breeding of vegetable genetic resources
 To facilitate discussion, interaction, exchange of information
and materials, and collaboration between researchers
 To facilitate formation of consortia for submissions of EU and
other international collaborative projects
 To participate in agenda setting of future EU research programs.
Objectives (specific)
 To preserve and valorize local genetic resources / minor crops with
regional economic importance
 To collect and manage phenotypic data in different environments / Set up
of a network of locations for trials
 To identify major traits to consider for breeding: pest resistance, quality,
plant-microrganism interactions (+ & -), resilience for climate changes
 To enhance development and implementation of enabling technologies
and genetic materials in pre-breeding and breeding of a wider range of
crops (e.g. haploid production protocols, embryo rescue, mapping
populations, molecular markers, etc.)
 Contribute to the discussion on the use of NPBT (New Plant Breeding
Techniques) in vegetable breeding and their impact on S&M seed
companies and vegetable growers.
Issues to be addressed
 Increase of environmental and economic sustainability of horticulture through genetic
approaches
 Characterization of local genetic resources (landraces) and wild relative accessions of
vegetable crops of interest for main agronomic traits (quality, stress resistance, ...)
 Development of accessible and informative catalogues of vegetable genetic resources
characterized at the phenotypic and genotypic level
 Identification, characterization and valorization of vegetable genetic resources to be
(re)introduced in cultivation
 Identification of specific targets to be improved aiming to different cultivation systems
(Organic, Protected culture, etc.) / Breeding of new cultivars for such systems
 Development of genetic tools (populations, markers, in vitro protocols) for local (minor)
crops / genotypes
 Targeted genetic improvement of specific traits in local (minor) crops / genotypes
 Breeding of rootstocks for main european vegetable crops
 Development of participative breeding schemes with farmers
 Development of novel breeding approaches
 ..................................................
MeWe Group
 Established in July
 Present members: 37
 Documents posted: 15









Information about WG members (replies to the questionnaire)
Updated slides
Agenda meeting 25-26 October
EU document “SC2. Strategic Programming 2018-2020. GAP ANALYSIS”
EU document “HORIZON 2020 SOCIETAL CHALLENGE 2 STAKEHOLDERS’
CONSULTATION 2016”
EU document “A strategic approach to EU agricultural research & innovation”
EU document “REPORT on the future of Europe’s horticulture sector – strategies for
growth (2013/2100(INI))”
SIRA (v20150310 and following)
H2020 Projects Societal Challenges Food
MeWe Group
ISSUES TO BE SOLVED
• How to get more effective interaction
POSSIBILITIES
• Would changing the media change the interaction
• If we change we should do it now
• Data policy of google. Googles uses the data you put on their
systems
SIRA
STRATEGIC INNOVATION AND
RESEARCH AGENDA FOR THE
FRUIT AND VEGETABLE SECTOR
V2016
201(20
7 IDENTIFICATION
OF INNOVATION AND RESEARCH
2 TABLE OF CONTENTS
NEEDS TO ADDRESS THE GLOBAL CHALLENGES
1
Preamble .............................................................................................................................................. 2
2
Table of contents .................................................................................................................................. 4
3
Introduction.......................................................................................................................................... 8
7.1 PARTICULARITIES OF THE CHAIN
4
Current situation of the fruit and vegetable industry .......................................................................... 9
4.1
5
Fruit and vegetable production in Europe ............................................................................ 10
4.2.2
Fruit and vegetable trade in Europe (intra EU and international) ........................................ 12
4.2.3
Fruit and vegetable consumption in Europe ........................................................................ 16
AREFLH
EUVRIN
EUFRIN
FRESHFEL
[1]
Inward Challenges ......................................................................................................................... 19
5.1.1
Competitiveness ................................................................................................................... 19
5.1.2
Sustainability and Resilience ................................................................................................ 19
5.1.3
Climate change ..................................................................................................................... 20
5.2
7
The Fruit and Vegetable chain ....................................................................................................... 17
European fruit and vegetable industry in the context of the global challenges ................................ 19
5.1
6
The Fruit and vegetable Sector ..................................................................................................... 10
4.2.1
4.3
STRATEGIC INNOVATION AND RESEARCH AGENDA · AREFLH · EUVRIN - EUFRIN · FRESHFEL
Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 9
.......the needs for innovation and research have been
identified and separated by different parts of the chain:
Input Suppliers and Production, Handling and Storage,
Distribution and Consumers.
4.2
Outward Challenges ...................................................................................................................... 20
5.2.1
Value of fruit and vegetables ................................................................................................ 20
5.2.2
Human Health and Well-being ............................................................................................. 21
5.2.3
Food Safety and Security ...................................................................................................... 22
5.2.4
Social Economy ..................................................................................................................... 22
Weaknesses and gaps in fruit and vegetables industry ...................................................................... 24
6.1
Current status and risks................................................................................................................. 24
6.2
Fruit and vegetables attributes and consumer expectations ........................................................ 24
6.3
Fruit and vegetables production and industry challenges ............................................................ 25
6.4
Scientific challenges ...................................................................................................................... 27
Identification of Innovation and Research needs to address the global challenges .......................... 28
7.1
Particularities of the chain ............................................................................................................ 28
7.2
Research needs for Input Suppliers and Production ..................................................................... 28
7.2.1
Genetic Resources and their Utilization ............................................................................... 30
7.2.2
Sustainable Plant Protection ................................................................................................ 33
7.2.3
Efficient Use of Primary Resources ....................................................................................... 36
7.2.4
Enabling Technologies: robotization and precision horticulture .......................................... 39
7.2.5
Greenhouse production........................................................................................................ 41
STRATEGIC INNOVATION AND RESEARCH AGENDA · AREFLH · EUVRIN - EUFRIN · FRESHFEL
[4]
SIRA
7.2 RESEARCH NEEDS FOR INPUT SUPPLIERS AND PRODUCTION
Issues to meet:
(a) consumers demands for varied, high quality and nutritious fresh produce, with negligible amounts
of plant protection products or contaminants
(b) citizens’ increasing demands for food production with minimal negative environmental impacts.
The latter must be done within an environmental framework of limited or reduced supplies of
fundamental resources e.g. water, and societal pressure to reduce external inputs of nutrients and
energy.
........further sustainable intensification and advancement of modern fruit and vegetable production
will come from sound science-based developments that specifically address environmental, social and
economic (i.e. sustainability) issues of current production systems.
SIRA
Figure 10 Research areas in fruit and vegetable sector are interconnected. Field production systems
cover the largest areas and still are the basis of the sector. Greenhouse production systems,
however, are expanding continuously and are technologically more developed. Sustainable
intensification research is needed for both.
SIRA
7.2.1 GENETIC RESOURCES AND THEIR UTILIZATION
Context issues
 Narrow genetic base for the main fruit and vegetables varieties
• underexploited genetic resources.
 Climate changes
• threat to the diversity of cultivated crops, contributing to genetic erosion
• new pests and diseases
• increased environmental constraints linked to water availability and quality, salinity and
high temperatures
• impact of biotic and abiotic stresses on productivity and quality
• breeding of varieties with improved adaptability, resilience and tolerance/resistance
• introduction of new vegetable varieties or species, requiring the acquisition of new
genomic information and the development of new breeding activities.
 Robotic automation to reduce costs
• varieties with characteristics adapted to the automated chain should be developed
 Environmental sustainability
• development of cultivars capable of maintaining yield and quality standards in low input
conditions and with reduced energy, allowing further expansion of cultivation areas.
 High diversification of markets and consumers’ needs
• many quality targets have to be taken in account, prompting the development of varieties
with highly specific characteristics.
SIRA
(Some ) constraints for varietal innovation
 the reproduction system
 the scarce information on the genetic basis of important agronomic traits
 the low efficiency of phenotypic selection
 the long juvenile period and long growth cycle (especially in fruit crops).
Innovative breeding methodologies could speed-up the development
process for releasing improved varieties
Research topics identified
1. New genetic resources for species with a narrow genetic base
2. New or traditional genetic resources for sub-optimal conditions
3. New genetic resources for specific needs of the value chain
4. New breeding techniques
5. New genomic information and tools
SIRA
Research topics proposed
Election
Steering Committee
 Teodoro Cardi, Italy ([email protected])
 Ferdinando Branca, Italy ([email protected])
 Céline Hamon, France ([email protected])
 Carlos Herrero-Sanchez, Spain ([email protected])
 Jaroslava Ovesná, Czech R. ([email protected])
 Peter Glen Walley, UK ([email protected])
Define/confirm WG topics to work on
1. Overview of techniques used by Euvrin members for breeding of different species,
related to pollination. Share protocols for evaluations of varieties, genetic material
2. Create database of research people and expertise
3. Update/monitor calls and spread to WG members
4. Promote breeding activities and spread document showing importance of breeding with
examples.
5. Organise workshop e.g. spring school instead of summer school. Next working group
meeting. Could be in Italy. Half day meeting and half day working groups
6. Networking with farmers associations, scientific associations before lobbying for
research calls. Interact with EPSO (joint meeting). European platform for breeding
techniques (legislation, universities and private companies are using to create new
breeding lines, paid participation)
7. Ask members which traits, breeding target are being bred for e.g. content, etc.
8. Ask other working groups for key traits that need to be bred for
9. Evaluation of varieties, phenotyping related to region. Organised by crop, species,
subgroups?
10. Breeding for minor crops or specific regions, do we have genetic basis, what is available
EU calls
 Relevant EU-calls and actions to be taken
Horizon 2020 Work Programme 2016 – 2017
• SFS-01-2016: Solutions to multiple and combined stresses in crop production
• SFS-02-2016: Teaming up for good: Exploiting the benefits of species diversity in
cropping systems
• SFS-03-2016: Testing and breeding for sustainability and resilience in crops
• SFS-04-2017: New partnerships and tools to enhance European capacities for insitu conservation
• SFS-07-2016-2017: Organic breeding – Increasing the competitiveness of the
organic breeding and farming sectors
 Submit a COST proposal on topics relevant to the WG interests
(next call September 2017)