INVITE: INnovations in plant VarIety Testing in Europe
To foster the introduction of new varieties better adapted to varying biotic and abiotic conditions and to more sustainable crop management practices
The aim of the INVITE project is to foster the introduction of new varieties with high resilience towards biotic and abiotic stresses, high adaptation to sustainable management practices, and high resource use efficiency (RUE). This will be achieved through improved variety testing and sending better information to stakeholders on variety performance under a range of contrasting production conditions. This will be determined using major crop species that represent the main features of propagation, food and feed uses, and exhibit significant breeding activity in the EU.
INVITE will explore opportunities that may improve the current variety testing system (DUS, VCU and performance), e.g. by use of advanced technologies and to look at how the sustainability profile of varieties could be better reflected.
Horizon 2020-SFS-29-2018
Website:
Crops:
Wheat, maize, sunflower, perennial ryegrass (PRG), potato, apple, tomato. The results will be extrapolated to lucerne, soybean and oilseed rape
Start – end:
July 2019 – June 2024
Euroseeds involvement:
Euroseeds is a consortium member of the project involved in a number of activities.
Euroseeds responsible staff:
Nick Vangheluwe
“The EU seed marketing legislation guarantees high-quality seeds and ensures crop performance. In the INVITE project, the scientific community, examination offices and post-registration offices study how R&I can improve and speed up the plant variety testing process in EU, which is of great importance to plant breeders. Euroseeds provides seed sector input and is together with Arcadia International responsible for communication and innovation transfer of the project results.”
