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European Plant Science: A Field of Opportunities
An EPSO
Publication in The Journal of Experimental Botany
July
2005
[Printable PDF
version] |
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EPSO brought
scientists from the various fields in plant science together to develop a
vision “European Plant Science: A Field of Opportunities” for Europe. It
organised a brainstorm in Gent, February’04 and coordinated the formulation of a
position paper, which was published in the Journal of Experimental Botany in
July 2005.
The outcome of the brainstorm was already presented
last year to the EC Commissioner for Research, Philippe Busquin (access the
presentation
here) and
provided as input to the scientists involved in drafting of the Technology Platform “Plants for
the Future”
Strategic Research Agenda 2025. The final paper will further
contribute to developing this Strategic Research Agenda for Europe.
We would like to
thank the Gent Group*, the drafting group for the paper, specifically
Mark Stitt and Dirk Inze, and all people sending comments** leading to
this vision.
Journal of Experimental Botany, July 2005
European Plant Science: A Field of Opportunities
European Plant
Science Organisation (EPSO)
Abstract: Plants have a pivotal role in eco- and agricultural systems.
Genomics is driving a rapid expansion of our understanding of how genes,
individually and in networks, determine plant function. Technological
developments in breeding and genomics are providing strategies to translate this
knowledge into crop improvement. The possibilities range from improvement of
existing crops and the systematic use of natural diversity through to the
domestification of completely new species. As examples of possible goals, it is
discussed how profiling of composition will integrate plant breeding and
agronomic practice with emerging knowledge about nutrition and health, how
improved and novel crops will contribute to the creation of new bio-based
economies revolving around plant products, and how advances in our knowledge
about plant-environment and plant-pathogen interactions will provide novel
strategies to stabilise agricultural yield in a fluctuating environment, and
contribute to integrated approaches in which modern agriculture is carried out
in concert with the environment. In addition, knowledge generated by plant
science will be needed to monitor, understand and cope with climate change and
its impact on agriculture and ecosystems. Realisation of these goals will
require close interactions with related disciplines including agronomy and
ecology. Further, it will be important to continue and deepen open support for
research in the developing world.
You can access
from here the
full paper at JEB web site
*The Gent Group is made up of: (from the left to the
right): Michel Caboche, Mark Stitt, Pere Puigdomenech, Dénes Dudits, Göran
Sandberg, Chris Pollock, Jon Agren, Bill Davies, Maarten Koornneef, Karin
Metzlaff, Dirk Inzé, Wilhelm Gruissem and Francesco Salamini. Not in the
picture: Jonathan Jones.
**Additional
contributions were kindly provided by:
Ton Bisseling,
Eva Kondorosi, Helene Lucas, Ivana Machackova, Ioan Negrutiu, David Scholefield,
Ulrich Schurr, Roberto Tuberosa, Wouter van Doorn, Ludger Wessjohann, Pierre de
Wit and Ulrich Wobus.
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Issue 7 
