OPTICHINA · Breeding to Optimise Chinese Agriculture

OPTICHINA (Breeding to Optimise Chinese Agriculture) aims to link the crop breeding research activities carried out by European and Chinese researchers. This Co-ordination Action build on previous and ongoing collaborative research experience of European and Chinese partners collaborating in this consortium. To date there have not been specific actions devoted to coordination of breeding research activities for better crop adaptation to abiotic stresses. Despite this European and Chinese scientists have been collaborating in a number of EC-funded research projects from 5th and 6th FP, together with other projects from specific EU member States, aimed at breeding the major grain crops for improved adaptation to abiotic stresses. OPTICHINA will focus specifically on research requirements to breeding for improved adaptation to abiotic stresses and sustainability of major herbaceous crops in both China and Europe. This require an integrative approach linking diverse disciplines and scales.This Co-ordination Action will integrate Chinese and European scientists internationally recognized as experts in different areas around crop breeding and adaptation to major abiotic stresses and avenues to raise yield potential. Coordinators and partners of different International Cooperation European projects together with Chinese researchers with high ranking of bilateral collaboration between China and Europe will actively participate.The specific aims of the OPTICHINA initiative are:To support networks of European agricultural scientists working with China.To develop an inventory of experimental resources and datasets.To ensure adoption of existing knowledge and technology and the implementation of best practices.To fund short training visits of Chinese researchers in other laboratoriesTo build links between research scientists working in molecular, genetic, bioinformatics and physiological, environmental research and the end users of their science.To build up fut