Protect and Promote Crop Wild Relatives

Summary

Problem
Modern crop varieties often lack genetic diversity, leaving them vulnerable to climate change, pests and diseases and not well adapted to novel agricultural practices. Many valuable traits that could improve nutritional quality and resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses still exist in crop wild relatives (CWRs). However, many of these species are under threat due to habitat loss and fragmentation, as well as limited integration into breeding programmes.
Solution
The PRO-WILD project identifies, protects and promotes the use of CWRs, with a focus on wheat, sugar beet and brassicas. The project maps genetic diversity hotspots, assesses threats to CWR populations and develops tools for integrating them into breeding programmes. It also establishes conservation actions in-situ (in the wild) and ex-situ (in gene banks).