European project “PRO-WILD” to protect and promote crop wild relatives launched

A ground-breaking European initiative, “PRO-WILD”, has officially commenced with the aim of protecting and promoting crop wild relatives (CWR) that are closely related to commonly cultivated plants. This innovative project seeks to harness the genetic potential of wild plant species to improve crop resilience and adaptability to climate change.

“PRO-WILD”, short for “Protect and Promote Crop Wild Relatives,” is focused on three of Europe’s most widely cultivated crops: wheat, sugar beet, and oilseed rape. The production of new varieties has been stressed as a critical means to mitigate the anticipated impacts of climate change. The “PRO-WILD” project aims to better preserve, characterize and exploit the genetic diversity of wild relatives to breed for better-adapted crops.

HCC is in charge of the stakeholder’s engagement strategy, which involves stakeholders mapping and prioritization, various methods of approach and building strong relationships,

needs assessment and capacity-building seminars for partners.

The “PRO-WILD” project, which is running from 2024-2029, will address three core areas:

• In-situ Conservation: Mapping, characterizing and protecting CWR in their natural habitats.
• Ex-situ Conservation: Propagating, conserving, and cataloguing CWR outside their natural environments to safeguard their genetic material.
• Pre-breeding Activities: Identifying desirable traits in CWR and incorporating these traits into elite breeding programs to enhance the genetic diversity and resilience of cultivated crops.

The ultimate goal of “PRO-WILD” is to improve the adaptability of wheat, sugar beet, and oilseed rape to changing climatic conditions while maintaining resistance to pests and diseases and improving end-use quality. By reintegrating the genetic diversity of wild relatives, the project aims to enhance the sustainability and security of agriculture in Europe and beyond, with project partners in Turkey and Israel.

The project officially kicked off in the first week of September with a meeting in Clermont-Ferrand, France. Representatives from the 19 international partner institutions gathered to outline the project’s roadmap and collaborative efforts. The project is managed and coordinated by the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), one of Europe’s leading research institutions in agriculture and environment.

“PRO-WILD” is funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe program, with support from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).