CASTANEVAL - Chestnut cultivation development in Lombardy: leveraging native genetic resources

The CASTANEVAL project intends to respond to the need for scientific knowledge on Lombardy chestnut genetic resources in order to provide tools for the leverage and conservation of native germplasm and to undertake actions for the management recovery of chestnut groves. The pilot study areas are the chestnut groves in the municipality of Serle (BS) and in the Varese Pre-Alps (VA) The CASTANEVAL project aims also to develop a chestnut micropropagation system in order to offer a concrete, sustainable and economical tool for the conservation and multiplication of native germplasm of high local interest. The project will also study the ecological context and the degree of naturalness of the stands, from wild to coppice and cultivated varieties. A complete characterisation of the chestnut genetic resources in the areas under consideration will result from the integration of genetic, morphological, ecological and production data.

BIO-BELIEF BIO-BELIEF: BIOfortification of common Bean to promote heaLthy dIEt and Food security in a context of climatic variation

Common bean is a staple food in many regions in the world. Bean seeds are a major source of dietary fibers, essential amino acid-rich proteins, some vitamins and often display a high content in essential minerals (Fe, Zn, Ca). However, these minerals are scarcely bioavailable, mainly due to the presence of phytic acid. Besides, about 60% of common beans produced worldwide are grown in regions subjected to water stress. The BIO-BELIEF project (ERA-NET FOSC call) aims to select new biofortified and drought resilient bean lines, in order to promote a healthy diet in a general frame of food security. The biofortification traits (incresed seed Fe and decreased phytic acid concentration) will be introgressed in the drought resilient genetic backgrounds. The innovative technology of genome editing will be applied to explore candidate genes involved in drought resilience. The biofortified lines will be exploited by preparing bean-based recipes. The BIO-BELIEF project involves: CNR-IBBA, CREA-GB and the Blumen Group company, Italy; Aix-Marseille University, France; CIAT, Kenya; University of Pretoria, South Africa; EMBRAPA, Brazil.

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NewPearl - Combining new phenotyping approaches and next generation sequencing to accelerate breeding in pearl millet, an orphan cereal from arid regions

Pearl millet is a major crop contributing to food security for poor farmers in arid and semi arid regions of the world. The project aims at providing tools and knowledge to accelerate the breeding of new pearl millet varieties with increased nutritional qualities as well as better adaptation to environmental stresses. New phenotyping methods will be used to characterize a collection of 100 pearl millet inbred lines for 1) root system development and interaction with the rhizosphere microbiota and 2) nutritionally important seed compounds: phytic acid and C-glucosylflavones (goitrogen). The impact of certain root phenotypes on agronomical performances will also be assessed in field trials. In parallel, thousands of high quality DNA markers will be produced on the inbred lines for phenotype/genotype association purpose using next generation sequencing technologies. Together, these approaches should lead to the identification of QTLs/genes involved in agronomically relevant root and seed quality traits.

PARDOM - Parallel Domestications: the Phaseolus replicated experiment to understand genome evolution and adaptation

FASTBIOS

Aim of the project is the development of common bean lines/varieties with an improved nutritional profile (biofortified and low anutinutrients) resulting from a breeding program in which the biofortified and low antinutrients parents have been provided by IBBA-CNR. These lines will be used for the production of innovative products, such as bakery products, pasta or snacks, destined to specific target consumers, such as diabetics, celiac or individuals with iron requirements. To this purpose bean flours will be prepared from genotypes with different compositions in nutrients and bioactive compounds.

CASTADIVA-Biodiversity and multifunctionality of the chestnut tree. Valorization of genetic resources for the development of Lombardy sub mountain areas

Over the centuries, the chestnut tree, cultivated for its fruits and timber, has become an essential element of subsistence for many societies in mountain and sub-mountainous areas, revealing its potential as a multifunctional species. However, today a large part of chestnut forests is in a state of degradation and abandonment, mainly due to the depopulation of rural areas, global climate change and recent outbreaks of exotic pests. With a view to the recovery and enhancement of chestnut genetic resources, the CASTADIVA project mainly aims to:

• map the chestnut areas of pilot areas in the Lombardy Region (chestnut groves in the Municipality of Serle, BS and in the Varese Prealps, VA);
• evaluate the genetic diversity of chestnut woods, genetically characterize local varieties
• to characterize the fruits from a morphological, pomological, qualitative and nutritional point of view
• integrate data obtained from genetic and morphometric analysis with ecological, silvicultural, phytosanitary and possibly socio-economic data;
• identify the best practices and management criteria for the conservation and enhancement of chestnut genetic resources to be applied in the areas of greatest interest; transfer information to local administrations and the agricultural world.

BIO-MEMORY

The project is organized in 3 main activities:

1) Implementation and updating of the BioGenRes network of biobanks, with a focus on nationally/internationally recognized collections of animal, plant or microorganism species samples (animal and plant germplasm banks, microbial strain libraries of pathogenic/toxigenic organisms, nematodes, soil and water microflora and microorganisms used in agro-industry and food (e.g. microbial starters for fermentations)).

2) Replication (rejuvenation) and expansion of material stored in collections. For plant and microbial collections: multiplication of accessions for which a small amount of material is available and rejuvenation of accessions whose seed viability data are below the expected standards (> 85%). For animal collections of zootechnical interest: collection and freezing of genetic material of local breeds to complete sampling carried out in previous projects or expansion of the number of species and breeds stored in cryobanks.

3) Biochemical, molecular, metabolic, functional and phenotypic characterization of the material conserved in the biobanks of the BioGenRes network, also in order to carry out association studies and to identify markers associated with traits linked to production and/or adaptation to biotic and abiotic stress factors.

BOBCAt - Biotechnologies for sustainable production of bio-based commodities and specialty products in a cardoon-based biorefinery

Aim of the project is the optimization of the use of industrial by-products and wastewaters as growth substrates for plant cell cultures and the optimization of their growth in economically and environmentally sustainable conditions to substantiate the possibility to build a cardoon-based cell biofactory in line with the principles of Circular Economy. Biotechnological approaches, through the RNAi strategy and/or the emerging technique of “genome editing”, on seed/leaf derived calli will be directed to increase monounsaturated fatty acids, while modifying lignin composition for accumulation of different phenolic acids as well as higher digestibility and availability of the cellulose fraction to enzymatic degradation. Furthermore, economic and environmental analysis of the production model of cardoon cells will be performed.

sPATIALS3 - Improvement of agrifood productions and innovative technologies for a safer and more secure and sustainable nutrition

sPATIALS3 is a technological and research hub involving 12 CNR Institutes belonging to 4 different Departments and 4 companies. Main objectives will be: obtainment of innovative food products improved for their nutritional and functional properties; provision and implementation of precision technologies to guarantee products quality, safety and traceability; development of innovative and eco-sustainable smart– and active-packaging to minimize and reuse wastes, where possible, and to increase food preservability; provision to consumers and producers of tools for results exploitation.

AGROBIO

The project is part of a collaboration with the company Blumen within the project ValProfag (funded by POR-FESR Piemonte) whose goal is to facilitate the cultivation of beans and improve their nutritional qualities. In particular, the objective is to obtain bean varieties with higher Fe content, intended both as absolute and bioavailable quantity. IBBA-CNR collaborates in the genetic improvement activities for the phenotyping aspects of the characters of interest (reduction of phytic acid and iron content).

LEGUPLUS - Evaluation of alternative legumes for sustainable and functional pig nutrition

The general objective of the project, coordinated by the University of Milan, is the evaluation of the potential use of new bean lines, with low content of antinutritional factors, and accessions of white lupin and blue lupin of particular interest as innovative protein sources in piglet feeding, both in terms of nutritional efficiency and environmental impact. An in vivo trial in piglets at weaning will allow to evaluate the nutritional efficiency of the new feeds, to identify variations of the intestinal microbiota associated to the different diets that will be tested and, finally, to evaluate the effective bioavailability of macro- and micronutrients and the reduction of environmental impact, both in terms of reduced excretion of phosphorus and minerals, and from the microbiological point of view. IBBA-CNR will be responsible for assessing and providing the bean genetic materials and for the activities related to microbiota analysis.