Project description
Helping tomatoes overcome combined stress
Tomato crops are one of the most extensively cultivated agricultural commodities in Europe. They are grown in many countries, both in open fields and protected enclosures. However, the cultivation of tomatoes is threatened by water and nutrient stress. The EU-funded TomRes project aims to provide a much-needed solution through extensive research and development efforts. The project will begin by carefully selecting a variety of accessions that exhibit tolerance to stress while maintaining high quality and yield. This process involves identifying desirable traits that contribute to stress tolerance. The project will also conduct rigorous testing and optimisation of farming strategies. The ultimate goal of TomRes is to provide farmers and specialists with valuable data and results.
Objective
Tomato is a main EU agricultural commodity, cultivated all over Europe in open and protected field and in glasshouses, representing a biological and agronomical model crop. Combined water and nutrient stress is a major problem for tomato farmers and solutions are needed to safeguard yields, while preserving the environment.
TOMRES will select, among over 10,000 available accessions, rootstocks and scions tolerating combined stress, while retaining fruit quality and yield, taking advantage of innovative screening approaches. Novel traits, in particular belowground, to be exploited in breeding, will be identified. The role of selected hormones (strigolactones and brassinosteroids) will be studied to identify further resilience traits.
TOMRES will test and optimize sustainable crop management strategies such as legume intercropping, precision fertilization and irrigation techniques, manipulation of symbiotic microorganisms, and the use of rootstocks more suited to water and nutrient uptake from the soil.
Novel genotypes X management strategies will be developed with the goal of reducing N and P application by at least 20%, water input by 40%, while granting environmental sustainability and economic viability of the solutions proposed.
Testing will be integrated with analysis of environmental (greenhouse emissions, water quality), and of socio-economic impact. Agronomical, environmental, and economical data will be processed to construction of models and of a Decision Support System.
Demonstration and dissemination activities will follow the whole course of the project, and will transfer the results to different environments and other cropping systems, thus ensuring the widest impact of the gained knowledge on the EU economy. Trans-disciplinary knowledge transfer among farmers, breeders, industries, associations and scientists will be granted by a solid multi-actor approach since the planning stage.
Fields of science
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturesustainable agriculture
- engineering and technologycivil engineeringwater engineeringirrigation
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturehorticulturefruit growing
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturehorticulturevegetable growing
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturegrains and oilseedslegumes
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
10124 Torino
Italy
See on map
Participants (25)
118 55 ATHINA
See on map
07007 PALMA DE MALLORCA
See on map
29013 Carpaneto Piacentino Pc
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
00186 Roma
See on map
46134 FOIOS
See on map
1000 Bruxelles / Brussel
See on map
185 45 PIRAEUS
See on map
13630 Eyragues
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
1000 Ljubljana
See on map
75007 Paris
See on map
41517 NEURATH
See on map
28100 NOVARA
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
See on map
042159 BUCURESTI
See on map
53113 Bonn
See on map
YO8 3TZ Selby
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
10125 TORINO TO
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
32000 Haifa
See on map
91904 Jerusalem
See on map
DD2 5DA Dundee
See on map
NG7 2RD Nottingham
See on map
20122 Milano
See on map
80138 Napoli
See on map
Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
00185 Roma
See on map
07122 Palma De Mallorca
See on map