HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-BIODIV-01: Plant Genomics and Molecular Breeding for Intercropping-Adapted Varieties

Research expertise and potential contribution

Mersin University, Türkiye, offers research collaboration within the Horizon Europe topic HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-BIODIV-09, focusing on enhancing the competitiveness of organic crop breeding through the development and evaluation of intercropping-adapted varieties.

Our research expertise encompasses plant genomics, genetic diversity, germplasm characterization, next-generation sequencing (NGS), genome-wide association studies (GWAS), identification of marker–trait associations (MTAs), molecular marker development, and marker-assisted selection (MAS), particularly in cereals and legumes.

Potential contributions to the project include:

• Characterization and evaluation of diverse cereal and legume germplasm for traits relevant to intercropping systems.

• Identification of genetic variation associated with competitive ability, complementary resource use, plant architecture, phenology, biomass production, and yield-related traits.

• Application of GWAS and genomic approaches to identify genomic regions and molecular markers associated with intercropping performance.

• Development and validation of KASP and other molecular markers for selecting promising intercropping-adapted genotypes.

• Evaluation of genotype performance and genotype-by-environment interactions under different cropping combinations and environmental conditions.

• Integration of molecular, agronomic, and phenotypic data to support the development of improved varieties suitable for organic and diversified farming systems.

Available expertise and research capacity

Our research group has extensive experience in national and international collaborative projects, including ERA-NET SusCrop, COST Actions, TÜBİTAK programmes, and university-funded research projects. We have established expertise in molecular genotyping, genomic data analysis, germplasm evaluation, and crop improvement.

Expected collaboration

We are interested in joining a Horizon Europe consortium as a research partner, particularly in work packages related to genetic resources, molecular characterization, genomic-assisted breeding, field evaluation, and the identification of traits contributing to successful intercropping systems.

We welcome collaboration with universities, research institutes, plant breeding organizations, seed companies, and other stakeholders working on organic agriculture, crop diversification, intercropping systems, and sustainable food production.

Our objective is to contribute genomic and molecular breeding approaches towards identifying and developing competitive, productive, and environmentally adapted crop varieties for diversified organic farming systems.