In this Root2Resilience podcast episode, we explore the crucial role of roots in plant breeding. Often overlooked, roots play a fundamental part in plant health, nutrient uptake, and resilience to environmental stress. We discuss why it is important to focus on roots, what functions they perform, and how they can be better integrated into modern breeding processes. The episode also highlights ongoing work within the Root2Resilience project to better understand and utilise root traits for more sustainable and resilient agriculture.

Key Topics Discussed

• The functions of roots and their importance for plant performance.
• The rhizosphere and the complex processes taking place belowground.
• How roots are currently considered in plant breeding.
• Methods for studying roots without destroying the plant.
• The work of Root2Resilience in advancing root-focused breeding approaches.

Guests

• Christina Baxter: ADAS UK – christina.baxter@adas.co.uk
• Charlotte White: ADAS UK – charlotte.white@adas.co.uk
• Eva Oburger: BOKU University Vienna – eva.oburger@boku.ac.at

Moderated by: Nina Gallmann (FiBL)

Produced by: Nina Gallmann and Laura Kemper (both FiBL)

Further information

Learn more about Root2Resilience and stay up to date: www.root2res.eu

Project on Cordis: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101060124

Project on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@root2res

Funding

Root2Resilience is supported by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement no 101060124, by Innovate UK through the Horizon Europe Guarantee Scheme and by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) under contract number 23.00050.

Get involved

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your network and subscribe to hear more from the Root2Resilience project. Together, we can help build a more resilient future for agriculture!