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Press release.
11/06/2008
Wheat and barley genomics for improved selection and creation of new varieties
INRA-coordinated TriticeaeGenome European research project launched
On 11 June 2008, François Houillier, INRA scientific director for Plants and Plant Products, launched the TriticeaeGenome project, coordinated by INRA Clermont-Ferrand, in the presence of Annette Schneegans from the DG Research of the European Commission, and Daniel Richard-Molard from the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research. The goal of this project, which brings together top European laboratories for wheat and barley research, is to encourage the development of new varieties by expanding genomic knowledge for these cereals and creating new tools required by European selection programmes.
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The importance of improved straw cereals
Straw cereals from the Triticeae family (wheat, barley and rye) are the staple food for a majority of humans and animals. They are also an important component of plant chemistry. Essential in the development of self-sufficient and sustainable agriculture, and constituting the second-largest crop in Europe, wheat cereals account for more than half of farmed land.
However, existing varieties and selection methods will not be enough to meet future food and non-food needs in a changing world, marked by demographic growth, global environmental changes, and increasingly scarce fossil fuels. The development of cutting-edge research in Triticeae genomics is necessary for more efficient selection methods and addressing the challenges of agriculture today.
Genome-based tools to create new varieties
Genomics makes it possible to unravel the secrets of living beings. It helps us understand how they function, describe their genetic diversity, and identify genes that govern agriculturally-relevant characteristics. Genomics provides powerful tools used to pick new varieties in selection programmes.
By bringing together the best European teams, TriticeaeGenome will come up with the physical maps of 6 soft wheat and barley chromosomes that contain dozens of agriculturally-relevant genes. These maps will make it possible to isolate the genes that are behind resistance to drought and major fungal diseases, or improved yield and quality in wheat and barley.
The partners shall develop new bioinformatics tools to store, manage, use and disseminate the project's results to the entire scientific community. Data transfer will be coordinated with other ongoing international projects, and the teams will collaborate with numerous partners using an external interface.
Fifteen research organisations and 2 industrial partners are involved in the 7.5 million EUR project, 5.3 million of which was funded by the EU over a 4-year period as part of the 7th Research Framework Programme.
>> List of partners
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Written by :
INRA press service, phone: +33 (0)1 42 75 91 69
Contacts :
Catherine Feuillet - Coordinator of the TriticeaeGenome project
Joint Research Unit for Genetics, Diversity and Ecophysiology of Cereals, INRA Research Centre of Clermont-Ferrand
Tel: 33(0)4 73 62 46 84
catherine.feuillet@clermont.inra.fr
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See also
