1 – Conserving CWRs in situ – The role of Genetic Reserves
What Genetic Reserves are and where the 5 planned by the Cousin project will be created
2 – Conserving CWRs in situ – Where to establish a genetic reserve and who to involve
How Cousin aims to contribute to the creation of Genetic Reserves that are durable, functional, and sustained by a local network of stakholders
3 – CWRs in Europe
The reasons, selection criteria and opportunities of the new checklist of CWRs (originating from Europe and related to food security) generated by the Cousin project
4 – The policy context of Crop Wild Relatives – Addressing policy gaps to ensure sustainable food systems
CWRs are crucial genetic resources for resilient agriculture, but current policies rarely address them directly. The COUSIN Project identifies structural gaps and recommends targeted policy actions to support the conservation and sustainable use of CWR.
5 – Working with others for Crop Wild Relatives (CWRs) – Stakeholder engagement in the use and conservation of CWRs
The conservation and sustainable use of CWRs requires stronger collaboration between different stakeholders. The COUSIN Project highlights the importance of this aspect to co-create context-specific solutions and build lasting support for CWR conservation and use.
6 – Prospects of breeding with CWR on wheat to enhance site adaptation and drought tolerance
Wheat is fundamental to Europes food supply, but challenges such as demands to reduce pesticides and fertilizers, along with more unpredictable weather patterns, have made it more difficult to achieve high, consistent yields and maintain flour quality
7 – Success story of breeding with Crop Wild Relatives – The Brassica case study at the University of Catania
Brassica crop wild relatives (CWRs), such as B. macrocarpa, offer valuable traits for resilience and health-promoting compounds. The COUSIN Project demonstrates that interspecific hybrids with broccoli can enhance glucosinolate content and drought tolerance, supporting both crop improvement and CWRs conservation.
8 – Characterisation and use of wild relatives in pea breeding
CWRs of pea, including Pisum fulvum, provide essential traits such as resistance to broomrape and powdery mildew. The COUSIN Project supports the development and distribution of CWR-derived cultivars and breeding populations, enhancing pea resilience under Mediterranean and other challenging farming conditions.
9 – Making use of barley’s wild relative – Barley research in the COUSIN project for future agriculture
Wild barley holds valuable traits for low-input and diversified farming systems. The COUSIN Project develops and tests CWR-derived populations to improve traits like root architecture.
10 – Boosting lettuce stress resilience – Exploiting Lactuca serriola genetic diversity for more resilient and sustainable crops
Lactuca serriola, a crop wild relative, shows valuable traits for phosphorus use efficiency under nutrient stress. The COUSIN Project identifies genetic markers linked to improved photosynthesis and nutrient uptake, enabling breeders to develop resilient lettuce varieties with lower fertiliser needs.