Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

160. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will set out the details of the two new tillage-focused research projects that were recently announced; when the projects will commence; the persons or bodies that will be involved in the projects; the timeline for the commencement and termination dates of the projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60836/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

New ways of sustainable crop production are necessary to increase productivity, quality and resilience of crops while also reducing the amount of inputs used.

With this in mind, I, along with Minister of State Martin Heydon, was delighted to be in a position recently to announce funding for two Irish projects that have been successful in a European Agrobiodiversity research Call. The projects will focus on improving the resilience of barley and wheat crops.

Project “Recobar” on recovering and exploiting old and new barley diversity for future ready Agriculture proposes a variety of approaches to broaden barley’s genetic base while exploring the wide diversity harboured by old varieties for adaptation to shifting climates, discovery and deployment of genes affecting key traits, and evaluating soil diversity dynamics in relation to barley diversity. This project will expand our knowledge on barley agrobiodiversity, improve barley adaptation to changing climates and promote sustainable crop production.

It will commence in the first quarter of 2023 and will run for 3 years. Dr Sonia Negrao of UCD is the lead Irish partner in this project, involving partners from Spain, Finland, Italy, Poland, Estonia and Turkey. It has been awarded €499,000 by my Department.  

The second project “WheatSecurity” focuses on the identification and sustainable deployment of wheat genetic diversity to enhance the resilience and security of the European food supply. This project will harness genetic resources to increase the resilience and sustainability of wheat production in biogeographically and climatically diverse zones across the EU. It will assess agronomic performance, quality, abiotic and biotic stress resistance/tolerance, as well as interaction with microbial ecosystem components.

The project will also commence in first quarter of 2023 and will run for three years. Prof Fiona Doohan of UCD is the lead coordinator of this European project, involving partners from Spain, France, Italy, Denmark and Scotland, and which received an award of €499,000 from my Department.

Mindful of my departments Food Vision 2030 Strategy, I welcome these projects as they will provide practical knowledge on how diversity can improve our agricultural ecosystems and deliver on restoring and enhancing biodiversity.