Projects

COUSIN

Crop wild relatives for climate change-resilient crops

The EU-funded project will enhance crops like wheat and barley by using crop wild relatives (CWRs). It will focus on valuable traits, develop breeding tools, and demonstrate climate-resilient crops through on-farm pilots over five years.

  • Grant agreement ID: 101135314

  • Total project budget: 5,677,697.50€

  • Start Date: 01/01/2024

    End Date: 31/12/2028

  • Project website: cousinproject.eu/

Crop wild relatives (CWRs), counterparts to domesticated crops, are a valuable source of genetic variation in agriculture. However, their utilization presents challenges. The EU-funded this project to demonstrate the use of CWRs for breeding and farming through COUSIN readiness levels (CRLs). Focused on wheat, barley, pea, lettuce, and brassicas, it will demonstrate how CWRs can address agricultural challenges.

The 5-year initiative will prioritize CWR traits, design selection toolboxes, and apply them in breeding programs to meet stakeholder demands. Effective protocols guide the conservation of trait diversity across Europe. A data portal will facilitate access to priority trait information. On-farm pilots and breeding sites will showcase change-resilient climate crops.

images (1)