IHSM researcher Sonia Osorio is heading one of this project's work packages aimed at developing improvement strategies through the application of new phenotyping tools, both at the plant and fruit levels, which allow the development of prediction models in terms to improve the plant's adaptation to changes in the environment and the fruit's quality, according to a statement from the center.

In recent years there has been an increase in consumer demand for berries in Europe, but the production has been affected by environmental changes associated with climate change and by the preservation of the environment.

Berry crops have a limited tolerance to contamination, which is a determining factor in the plant's plasticity to different environmental factors. This also affects the quality of the fruit, a factor that determines its success in the markets.

20 partners from 8 countries (Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom) are collaborating in BreedingValue, a multidisciplinary initiative that highlights the different collections of strawberry, raspberry, and blueberry GenRes germplasm available in Europe. The project is endowed with 7 million euro and will last 4 years.

The project will be coordinated by the Università Politecnica Delle Marche in Ancona (Italy).

Source: Efe / lavanguardia.com