In this Root2Resilience podcast episode, we dive deep into the concepts of root ideotypes and plasticity in plant breeding. We look at why these terms can be contentious, or sometimes seen as a contradiction, and why we need to better understand root systems. This episode also unpacks the challenges of breeding for resilience in the face of climate change and explores how combining ideotypes and plasticity can create sustainable solutions for the future of agriculture.

Key Topics Discussed

• What is an ideotype, and how does it work in specific environments?
• The concept of plasticity in plants and its importance for adapting to unpredictable climates.
• How breeding for ideotypes and plasticity can complement each other.
• The work of Root2Resilience in advancing these concepts.

Guests

• Doris Vetterlein: Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research, Germany - doris.vetterlein@ufz.de
• Pete Berry: ADAS, UK - pete.berry@adas.co.uk

Moderated by: Laura Kemper (FiBL) – laura.kemper@fibl.org

Produced by: Nina Gallmann and Laura Kemper

Further information

• Learn more about Root2Resilience and stay up to date: www.root2res.eu
• Project on Cordis: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101060124
• Deliverable 1.1 : Priority list of root/rhizosphere ideotype traits: https://zenodo.org/records/14923835
• Deliverable 5.1: Development of a statistical evaluation scheme for assessing plasticity data and development of experimental systems for studying root plasticity: https://zenodo.org/records/14924568
• How to calculate root phenotypic plasticity as a trait for crop breeding programs: https://zenodo.org/records/8392071
• How to study root plasticity in response to water availability under controlled conditions: https://zenodo.org/records/8392410
• Roots in policy: How to encourage breeding for root-related traits and more resilient crops : https://zenodo.org/records/11189796

Funding

Root2Resilience is supported by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement no 101060124 and by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) under contract number 23.00050.

Get involved

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