Kontext

Crop Wild Relatives (CWRs) are often seen as the COUSINs of domesticated crops, given their close kinship and their role as important sources of natural genetic variation. Crop diversification and breeding are important tools for achieving the necessary agroecological transition of European food systems, and in this regard CWRs can play a key role as diversity custodians.

COUSIN tackles this challenge by developing and implementing a roadmap for the use of CWRs to breed new cultivars supporting the agroecological transition. Five flagship crops have been identified, as main representatives
of important food crop types, cereals, legumes, leafy greens, vegetables and oilseed crops: wheat (Triticum aestivum), barley (Hordeum vulgare), pea (Pisum sativum), lettuce (Lactuca sativa), and cabbages/rapeseed
(Brassica oleracea/napus). It'll show for these exemplary crops how current challenges of stakeholders from farm to fork can be overcome using CWRs in formalised and participatory breeding. 
To achieve these goals, the Cousin Readiness Levels (CRL) methodology was developed, which consists of 9 steps:
1 CWR is identified in species distribution databases;
2 CWR is identified in situ ;
3 CWR is characterised in situ,;
4 CWRe is available ex situ in gene banks with corresponding passport data;
5 CWR is characterised ex situ for abiotic and biotic stress tolerance, nutritional properties and other agronomic traits;
6 Early interspecific crosses with CWRs and early selection;
7 Crosses and backcrosses with selection to create advanced populations;
8 Definition of a novel cultivar (DUS) or organic heterogeneous material (OHM).
9 Registered varieties and OHM are commercialised and grown in farmers’ fields to produce food and feed.
 

Objectives

COUSIN envisions a future where CWRs are appreciated across Europe for their contribution to natural and agrobiodiversity and as a valued resource for breeding biotic and abiotic resistance and quality traits to improve climate resilience and nutritional value of modern crop varieties. COUSIN aims to enable conservationists, breeders, farmers and consumers to migrate towards a CWR-nurturing paradigm by showcasing representative examples of CWRs for five major European crops. The COUSIN multi-actor approach will contribute with a multitude of priority traits identified in previous projects of COUSIN partners and a recent stakeholder questionnaire to support crop diversity, agricultural sustainability and healthy consumer dishes.

The COUSIN main objectives are to: 

Activities

The project was organized into 7 Work Packages, each with specific objectives and reltaive activities:

WP1 - Participation and Co-Design: Co-creating the contexts for Crop Wild Relatives
To achieve its main objective, it has the following tasks:

Task 1.1 – Transdisciplinary strategy – engaging stakeholders through a cascading engagement strategy

Task 1.2 – Identification of good practices, strategic guidelines for practitioners and establishing pathways to action

Task 1.3 – Synthesis of existing and new findings and policy recommendations.

Task 1.4 – Impact assessment on relevant international policies for development of decision-making toolbox.

WP2 - Conservation: Monitoring and conservation of Crop Wild Relatives
To achieve its main objective, it has the following tasks:

Task 2.1 – Increasing the knowledge of the diversity, the threats and the conservation status of CWRs.

Task 2.2 – Efficient and targeted in situ conservation of priority CWRs.

Task 2.3 – Participatory call to strengthen (distribution-driven) ex situ conservation of priority CWRs.

Task 2.4 – Coordination of in situ and ex situ approaches in a trans situ conservation strategy.

WP3 - Characterisation: Trait characterization of CWRs and pre-breeding germplasm
To achieve its main objective, it has the following tasks:

Task 3.1 – Assessing CWR biotic and abiotic stress resilience.

Task 3.2 – Characterizing CWR benefits in crop management

Task 3.3 – Bioprospecting the nutritional and health value of CWRs

Task 3.4 – Unravel the genetic basis of valuable CWR functional traits, including the CWR ecotype

Task 3.5 – Exploring the microbiome as a tool to enhance crop performance predictions

WP4 - Breeding and farming: Implementing CWRs in breeding and farming
To achieve its main objective, it has the following tasks:

Task 4.1- Generate selection toolboxes for each flagship crop for use of CWRs in breeding activities

Task 4.2 – Implement CWR genetic resources and tools for their use in (pre-)breeding programmes of the five flagship crops across Europe

Task 4.3 – Establish pilots across Europe for CWR-based participatory breeding and CWR use for diversified farming systems

WP5 - Data Provisioning: High-quality data resources provisioning
To achieve its main objective, it has the following tasks:
Task 5.1 –  Development and monitoring of the COUSIN Data Management Plan.

Task 5.2 –  Provision and operation of the project data management platform.

Task 5.3 – Consolidation of diversity, climate, land use, conservation and characterisation data.

Task 5.4 – Implementation of the CWR database into a catalogue for plant genetic resources.

WP6 - Communication, dissemination, exploitation and training
To achieve its main objective, it has the following tasks:
Task 6.1 – Plan for the Exploitation, Dissemination and Communication of Results.

Task 6.2 – Communication and dissemination of key messages to target groups.

Task 6.3 – Sharing, Training and Educational activities.

WP7 - Project management
To achieve its main objective, it has the following tasks:
Task 7.1 – Coordination of the project.

Task 7.2 – Scientific and technical management.

Task 7.3 – Exploitation Board and Innovation Management.

Task 7.4 – Communication Management.

Task 7.5 – Regulatory and Ethical Issues.