Crop Wild Relatives (CWRs), i.e. the COUSINs of domesticated crops, represent a natural source of genetic variation. The COUSIN consortium recognizes the value of CWRs for agriculture, but also the challenges of their utilisation. Through the COUSIN Readiness Levels (CRLs) we will demonstrate a roadmap for the use of CWRs in breeding and farming. We will work with five flagship crops: wheat, barley, pea, lettuce and brassicas. With these exemplary crops, we demonstrate how current challenges of stakeholders from farm to fork can be overcome using CWRs in formalised and participatory breeding. The COUSIN consortium has unique CWR-related expertise, data and breeding material that allows us to cover the translational pathway from the identification of wild plants to a market-ready crop in a five-year project. For each flagship crop, we identify priority traits of CWRs, design selection toolboxes and apply them in current breeding programmes in order to fulfil current and emerging stakeholders demands. Effective characterisation protocols are designed and will guide conservation of the naturally occurring functional and genetic trait diversity across Europe. Characterisation will occur in- and ex-situ through high-throughput phenotyping, chemotyping and genotyping of priority traits incl. plant-associated microbiomes. Conservation measures cover in-situ reserves and ex-situ collections with the widest possible trait diversity. For easy access of priority trait information and corresponding CWR accessions, a user-friendly data portal will be developed. All collected data will be offered for integration into national and international repositories. Through on-farm pilots and actual breeding sites realised across the European pedoclimatic regions, the value of CWRs will be demonstrated to stakeholders with direct applications for breeders and farmers to provide climate change-resilient crops as a vital means towards sustainable production systems.

RustWatch will establish a stakeholder driven early-warning system to improve preparedness and resilience to emerging rust diseases on wheat, which is Europe’s largest agricultural crop. This is urgent because Europe in 2016 experienced the most severe epidemics of wheat stem rust for more than 50 years, and the pre-existing population of wheat yellow rust has been replaced by invasive races of non-European origin. RustWatch will address all areas listed in the call, including exploring the drivers shaping the new European wheat rust populations, assessment of their impact on agricultural productivity in the context of IPM Directive 2009/128/EC, and finally develop research and communication infrastructures taking advantage of stakeholder networks and expertise, and collaboration via existing global networks. RustWatch provides beyond state-of-the-art research within new diagnostic tools, enabling rapid and precise identification of new invasive races, and investigating the impact of virulence, aggressiveness and adaptation to warmer temperatures as drivers of pathogen spread and establishment. The research has potential for a break-through in the area of host resistance phenotyping, e.g., by going beyond the observation of disease and categorize resistance responses at the cellular level. This phenotyping is essential for utilizing the vast amount of genomic sequence information produced by new emerging breeding technologies. The early-warning system for prevention and control of rust diseases will become implemented via case studies in five regions. The case studies will aid in development and validation of the systems in collaboration with a wide array of stakeholder groups, involve agricultural advisers in disease surveillance and sampling for later diagnosis, and collect information about potential barriers in adopting the system. RustWatch engages 12 universities/research institutes, 5 agricultural advisory services, and 8 SMEs/industries.