Over the next four years, a multidisciplinary team of experts from 22 institutions and entities from 7 countries - Bulgaria, France, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Taiwan - will work on the Harnesstom project to obtain new tomato varieties that have better taste and quality, and are more resistant to diseases.
The project, which is being funded by the EU with more than 8 million euro, will be led by Antonio Granell, a researcher specialized in Plant Genomics and Biotechnology of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC).
Carlos Baixauli, a researcher from Valencia that is responsible for Agro-sustainability at the Cajamar Experiences Center in Paiporta, will be participating in the project. Technology companies, SMEs, large plant reproduction companies, farmers' associations, NGOs, and academic institutions from the participating countries will also participate in the project.
The project consists of four programs aimed at making varieties that are more resistant against the main emerging diseases, improving tomato tolerance to climate change, increasing fruit quality, and increasing the resistance of the traditional European tomato against emerging diseases and pests.
Source: lasprovincias.es