Development of a novel breeding technology for improved root system, drought tolerance and sustainable plant productions

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Traud Winkelmann
• Subject Area: Plant Breeding and Plant Pathology ; Plant Cultivation, Plant Nutrition, Agricultural Technology
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 459498555

Climate change in Europe will result in higher risks for drought spellsthat will cause considerable yield losses. Furthermore, chemical plantgrowth regulators are harmful for humans and the environment and itis expected that applications will be increasingly restricted andbanned in the near future. In this project we intend to develop asustainable solution for both problems by a novel breeding technologyfocusing on the roots. By enhancing root growth a better adaptation ofplants to stress can be obtained providing plants with improvedcapacity to exploit soil water resources and a higher tolerance to plantreplant disease. Transfer of bacterial genes to crops in a natural waywill also result in compact plants which can be produced with lessagro-chemicals. We focus on the development of a new approachusing rhizogenic agrobacteria as a novel breeding technology. Naturalstrains of Rhizobium rhizogenes carry the root inducing (Ri) plasmid(containing a.o. the rol genes). The T-DNA located on the Ri plasmidis transferred and integrated in the plant host nuclear genome andcauses "hairy root" formation. From these hairy roots, by tissueculture techniques whole plants can be regenerated, the so-called Riplants. The presence of Ri T-DNA genes in such plants leads tomarked changes in plant morphology, including increased rootingability and compact growth next to changes in flower and/or leafmorphology. These Ri plants are prebreeding material, i.e. the firststep in a new breeding strategy where crosses of Ri plants, selectionand molecular monitoring of the segregation of the rol genes go handin hand to obtain a commercial variety with a stronger root systemand all qualitative standards. The specific objectives of the projectare: 1) to develop a biotechnological breeding tool by rhizogenicagrobacteria; 2) to optimize plant regeneration from transformedroots; 3) to in depth characterize phenotypic changes of the Ri plantsabove- and belowground; 4) to test if Ri plants require less chemicalplant growth regulators; 5) to test the stress performance of Ri plants under drought and replant disease; 6) to monitor heredity of theintroduced genes transferred by rhizogenic agrobacteria; 7) toimplement the use of rhizogenic agrobacteria as breeding tool in abreeding strategy. These objectives will be implemented in this projecton selected model crops widely grown over Europe (oilseed rape,sunflower, rose, apple, chrysanthemum). Plants that originate fromthis technique are not considered genetically modified organisms(GMO). Therefore a wide range of applications becomes possible inbreeding and sustainable plant production. At the same time, thisproject ensures in depth research on the genetic basis oftransformability and specific effects of the different T-DNA genes by amultidisciplinary approach. The outcome will be a new breedingtechnology for the agricultural and horticultural sector enabling a moresustainable production.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Belgium, Denmark, Poland, Romania
• Partner Organisation: Flanders Innovation en Entrepreneurship; Ministry of the Environment and Food of Denmark; The National Centre for Research and Development; UEFISCDI
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Thomas Debener
• Cooperation Partners: Dr. Adriana Carolina Aurori; Dr. Ellen De Keyser; Dr. Henrik Lütken