«I see BELIS as a very promising dual use incredible legume, just starting to bloom its multiple diverse flowers to express all of its power / beauty.« – Carlota Vaz Patto
Introduce yourself, your professional background and your role within the BELIS Project.
I am a Principal Investigator at ITQB NOVA, leading the Genetics and Genomics of Plant Complex Traits research group (PlantX Lab). My group works to uncover the genetic architecture underlying phenotypic variation of complex traits in plants of national interest. I normally pursue a multidisciplinary, participatory research approach to generate scientific knowledge and tools essential for a more precise plant breeding.
I have a PhD in Production Ecology and Resource Conservation by Wageningen University, The Netherlands, obtained in 2001. Earlier degrees include an MSc in Plant Genetic Breeding by CIHEAM, a Post-graduation in Plant Genetic Breeding at IAMZ, both in CIHEAM Zaragoza, Spain, and a University degree in Agronomical Engineering from Lisboa Technical University, Portugal. After defending my PhD, I was a Post-Doc researcher within various foreigner and national Institutions: First at Bologna University, Italy; later on at IFAPA and IAS-CSIC, Córdoba, Spain; and finally at ITQB NOVA in Portugal.
Within BELIS, I am WP3 (New phenotyping tools and protocols) leader. Together with the WP3 co-Leader, Diego Rubiales (CSIC), we prepared and maintain a coherent work plan for the work package, by monitoring, reporting and providing feed-back on the WP progress. In WP3, I am also Task 3.4 (Development/improvement of breeders’ friendly screening tools for innovative quality traits) leader, contributing to the organization of the activities related to quality traits phenotyping tools development or optimization. I am also participating as a researcher (with my UNL team) mainly in WP4 and WP5 where we contribute to common bean’s seed quality and vetch’s drought resistance improvement. These are two complex traits with a growing breeding impact due to climate and consumers concerns changes. I am also Common bean Crop Leader, together with Alexandra Illic (IFVCNS), where we contribute to the facilitation, organization and engagement on joint activities, like ring test trials, of all the partners with an interest in common bean.
Describe BELIS in 1 sentence.
I see BELIS as a very promising dual use incredible legume, just starting to bloom its multiple diverse flowers to express all of its power / beauty.
How do you see BELIS contributing to farming sustainability?
BELIS will work to close the gap between more fundamental plant research and breeding and between breeding and farmers. This will increase the efficiency and efficacy of breeding by demand by closing the circuit that translates fundamental to applied plant research, with real feed-back opportunities.
You are leading Work Package 3 “New phenotyping tools and protocols”. Could you describe the objectives within this WP?
This WP aims to develop new or improve existing phenotyping tools and protocols needed for a more precise breeding. The focus is on traits prioritized by breeders and other value chain relevant actors that need more cost effective and accurate phenotyping tools or protocols to be implemented routinely in breeding programs. These traits may be as diverse as forage biomass and seed yield, resistance to major insect pests and diseases, tolerance to cold or drought and nutritional composition.
«BELIS will work to close the gap between more fundamental plant research and breeding and between breeding and farmers. This will increase the efficiency and efficacy of breeding by demand by closing the circuit that translates fundamental to applied plant research with real feed-back opportunities.« – Carlota Vaz Patto
What is the most challenging part of these new phenotyping tools and protocols?
I think the biggest challenge has to do with the breeders need to be a bit crystal ball gazers…. Will we be able to phenotype, with these tools we are now investing on, the diversity we will need in a very uncertain future?
Could you give us some examples of important legume traits?
From the traits prioritized by breeders and other value chain relevant actors, I may highlight the resistance to insect pests like aphids or weevils which incidence is rising within Europe with the increasing temperatures, or the tolerance to drought due to rain uncertainty, and finally protein and anti-nutrient factors content due to consumers concerns on diet health benefits.
We are within the first year of BELIS. Please give us you feedback on how the project has started since its launch and tell us how you envision the coming months.
By now, all the tasks have already started, even if only through the establishment of the necessary trials or planned seed exchanges. So, partners know exactly what they will do during the next season and the data will start to be collected soon. It feels like the boat is gaining a cruise speed. From now on we just need to kept it rolling…
