Institut für Strategien und Folgenabschätzung
The yield stability and further increases in productivity and quality of winter oilseed rape (WOSR), the most important oilseed rape crop in Central Europe, are affected by the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events and the changing pressure from pathogens and pests as a result of climate change. Novel integrated strategies to improve WOSR are therefore urgently needed. In addition, modern breeding approaches are required to establish new functionalities and maintain productivity despite reduced use of fertilisers and pesticides. The production of climate-resistant and site-adapted varieties with novel traits requires the consideration of complex genotype-environment (G*E) interactions. For effective adaptation to multiple, complex biotic and abiotic stress factors and the simultaneous optimisation of quality traits, effective new strategies for the rapid identification or generation of favourable genetic variants and their combination in superior genotypes are being developed. A holistic approach is pursued that integrates the development of breeding material, genomic-phenomic performance prediction, systems biology studies and targeted genetic modification strategies for the improvement of specific traits. Multidimensional breeding and informatics technologies will be utilised and two innovative R&D approaches will be combined into an integrated strategy. These include I) genomic-phenomic prediction of hybrid performance considering G*E interactions using extensive data sets from previous work of the applicants as well as new data from newly developed inbred/hybrid varieties and II) the generation of new genetic variants in elite backgrounds by TILLING and editing of key genes for the expression of new target traits. The potential socio-economic and environmental impacts of the achieved advances will be evaluated through a prospective Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment and in an Expert Workshop.
Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space
