A pioneering European initiative, Pro-Wild, has officially launched with the goal of safeguarding and promoting crop wild relatives (CWR), which are closely related to widely cultivated plants. This innovative project aims to tap into the genetic potential of wild plant species to enhance crop resilience and adaptability in the face of climate change.
Pro-Wild, which stands for Protect and Promote Crop Wild Relatives, focuses on three of Europe’s most widely grown crops: wheat, sugar beet, and oilseed rape. Developing new crop varieties is emphasized as a vital strategy to counter the expected impacts of climate change, according to a press release. The project aims to enhance the preservation, characterization, and use of genetic diversity from wild relatives to breed crops that are better adapted to future challenges.
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 primary aim of Pro-Wild is to enhance the adaptability of wheat, sugar beet, and oilseed rape to changing climate conditions, while also preserving resistance to pests and diseases and improving end-use quality. By reintegrating the genetic diversity of wild relatives, the project seeks to strengthen the sustainability and security of agriculture in Europe and beyond, with project partners in Turkey and Israel.
The initiative officially launched in early September with a meeting in Clermont-Ferrand, France, where representatives from 19 international partner institutions gathered to discuss the project’s roadmap and collaborative efforts. The project is managed and coordinated by INRAE.
Pro-Wild is funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe program, with additional support from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).
