Biotech Updates

Launch of European Project DROPS - Development of Drought Tolerant Plants

September 3, 2010

A scientific collaboration among the 15 European public and private partners in eight European countries, Australia, Turkey and the United States in a project called DROPS, was recently launched in a seminar at the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) at Montpellier, France. The project will address issues on the scarcity of water resources through the development of drought tolerant and water efficient varieties.

The project will use multi disciplinary approach combining physiology, genetics, modeling with field tests and phenotyping platforms in the development of drought resistant corn, wheat, durum wheat and sorghum. Results of the project which is funded by the EU's Framework Programme for Research and Development will be distributed to breeders through the participation of seed companies and professional association of breeders.

The original news article in French can be viewed at http://www.inra.fr/presse/lancement_du_projet_europeen_drops_2010_2015.