CRAG participates in a “Retos-Colaboración” project with the Agrovet Laboratories and the University of León

The subprogram Retos-Colaboración2016 of the Spanish State Program for R+D+I Addressing the Challenges of Society has granted €800,664 to the project entitled “Development and implementation in the company of innovative biotechnological techniques for the improvement and maintenance of strategic agricultural crops for Castilla y León”. The Agrovet Analytical Laboratories (Mansilla Mayor, León) coordinate this project, in which also participate the University of León and the Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG).

The project has two main objectives. First, obtaining, producing and certifying pathogen-free seed or plant, mainly targeting two crops: hop and beans. The second objective focuses on the recovery and improvement of varieties of interest by using biotechnological tools. The actions of the consortium in matters of plant improvement include hop, bean and maize crops. The inclusion of this last crop in the second objective is because of the global importance of the development of varieties resistant to the rupture of the cane, as well as to other types of stresses, in a way that demonstrates the global significance of the mastery of biotechnological techniques.

David Caparrós, researcher at CRAG, brings to this consortium his experience in genetic analysis of crops and in molecular markers. This project is funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness and by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Image: CRAG researcher, David Caparrós