Plant Genetic Diversity, Molecular Breeding and Development of Intercropping-Adapted Crop Varieties

Expertise and Contribution to Horizon Europe – HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-BIODIV-09

Prof. Dr. Mehtap Yıldız, Professor of Agricultural Biotechnology at Van Yüzüncü Yıl University, Türkiye, is interested in joining an international consortium addressing the competitiveness of organic crop breeding, with particular emphasis on the development and selection of varieties adapted to intercropping systems.

Her research expertise includes plant breeding, plant genetic resources, molecular genetics, genetic diversity assessment, population structure analysis, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and molecular marker-assisted selection. She has extensive experience in the characterization and utilization of genetic variation in economically important crops, including carrot, okra, pepper, and sugar beet. Her additional expertise includes plant tissue culture, micropropagation, somatic embryogenesis, doubled haploid production, and mutation breeding.

Potential contributions to the project include:

•⁠ ⁠Characterization and evaluation of crop genetic resources for identifying promising genotypes suitable for organic and diversified cropping systems.

•⁠ ⁠Application of molecular markers and GWAS to identify genomic regions and candidate markers associated with important agronomic traits.

•⁠ ⁠Identification and selection of genotypes with complementary characteristics for intercropping systems, including growth habit, maturity, productivity, and adaptation.

•⁠ ⁠Evaluation of genetic diversity and agronomic performance under different field conditions and intercropping combinations.

•⁠ ⁠Participation in field trials, phenotypic characterization, and genotype evaluation under organic production conditions.

•⁠ ⁠Contribution to molecular breeding strategies for developing productive, resilient, and intercropping-adapted crop varieties.

Expected collaboration:

We are interested in collaborating with universities, research institutes, plant breeding organizations, organic farming networks, and SMEs working on crop improvement, intercropping, and sustainable agricultural production.

We particularly welcome opportunities to contribute to joint field experiments, germplasm evaluation, molecular characterization, genetic analysis, and the development of innovative breeding strategies for competitive organic farming.

Our objective is to support the development of genetically diverse, productive, and climate-resilient crop varieties that enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of organic intercropping systems.