HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-BIODIV-09:Genetic Resources and Characterisation for Organic Breeding in Legume–Grass and Legume–Cereal Intercropping

Our research group at Çukurova University, Türkiye, offers expertise in genetic characterisation, germplasm evaluation and legume–grass and legume–cereal intercropping systems for sustainable food and feed production under semi-arid Mediterranean conditions. Our research combines crop diversification and agroecological management with the identification of genetic resources suited to resource-efficient farming.

We maintain extensive germplasm collections of sorghum, guar, soybean, teff grass, subterranean clover and harding grass, providing a broad genetic basis for exploring complementary crop and genotype combinations. Our expertise in genetic diversity assessment, germplasm characterisation and field phenotyping can support the identification of breeding material and target traits for intercropping under organic and low-input conditions.

We are particularly interested in contributing to:

• Genetic and phenotypic characterisation of germplasm to identify promising material for legume–grass and legume–cereal intercropping

• Comparative evaluation of genotypes in sole crops and mixtures to identify combinations with consistently high food and feed productivity

• Assessment of traits influencing competition, complementarity and facilitation, including crop architecture, flowering and maturity timing, establishment and regrowth

• Field evaluation of mixture performance, yield stability, weed suppression, water and nutrient use efficiency, and grain and forage quality

• Development of practical screening methods and selection criteria to support organic breeding for intercropping-adapted varieties

We are open to collaborating with breeders, researchers, seed companies and farmers in consortia developing crop varieties specifically adapted to multispecies systems. We can contribute genetic resources, characterisation expertise and Mediterranean field trials to support breeding approaches and the evaluation of promising material for future varieties suitable for organic farming.