DROMAMED - Capitalization of Mediterranean maize germplasm for improving stress tolerance

OUR IMPACT

Goals

i) Develop Innovative Farming Systems (IFS) by using maize germplasm collections maintained in Mediterranean countries, which hold large variability and have been selected for adaptation to a diversity of stressful environments. ii) Capitalize current and new knowledge about mechanisms of adaptation to specific environments and tolerance to stresses to define novel selection indexes; iii) Develop and/or improve IFS that will increase our ability to optimize breeding approaches and crop management practices enhancing maize adaptation and tolerance to abiotic stresses.

Objectives

The main objective of DROMAMED is to implement biodiversity-based IFS using resilient maize varieties in order to enhance the sustainability of farming systems; that is, being climate resilient and efficient, cost-effective and environmentally and socially responsible.

Impact Pathway

DROMAMED will have an immediate impact, and is aware of the relevance of providing guidance to farmers. Project’s results will provide arguments for social and economic useful analyses for policy decisions. Increased demand of improved local varieties will promote policy decisions about registration, multiplication and commercialization of local varieties, adaptive learning for both crop scientists and producers, and valorisation of agriculture with products with added value. The interaction between crop scientists, producers and farmers will result in guidance to conventional farmers for a transition to more sustainable and resilient farming systems.