CLIMSOSTRIGO - Contribution of innovation in plant material to adaptation to climate change and improvement of the sustainability of soft wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production

The CLIMSOSTRIGO project aims to identify which wheat varieties respond best to conditions resulting from climate change, especially drought and high temperatures. The project also seeks to determine which varieties make the most efficient use of nitrogen, which would reduce the application of fertilisers without compromising yield, as well as which ones are most resistant to disease, thus helping to reduce the need for fungicides.

In addition, CLIMSOSTRIGO aims to define clear criteria for evaluating varieties not only in terms of their productivity, but also in terms of their adaptability and contribution to more sustainable agriculture. Another fundamental pillar is to ensure that this knowledge actually reaches the agricultural sector through demonstration trials and practical recommendations that help farmers make decisions with greater confidence. In short, the project aims to promote wheat cultivation that is more sustainable, more profitable and better prepared to face the climate challenges of the future.

Within the CLIMSOSTRIGO project, IRTA’s Sustainable Extensive Crops programme, based at the IRTA Mas Badia centre, acts as technical coordinator and plays a central role both in the execution of the experimental trials and in the joint analysis of the results at the national level. Its experience in variety evaluation and applied research is key to giving the project scientific rigour and ensuring the effective transfer of results to the production sector. IRTA’s specific objectives within the project are:

• To evaluate the agronomic performance of soft winter and spring wheat varieties in different cropping systems: conventional, low nitrogen inputs, low phytosanitary inputs and combined systems with reduced inputs of both.
• To analyse the tolerance of genotypes to water and heat stress, factors that are becoming increasingly frequent in the context of climate change.
• To determine the nitrogen use efficiency of varieties, with the aim of reducing fertiliser use while maintaining productivity.
• Investigate varietal susceptibility to foliar diseases in order to identify more resistant materials that reduce dependence on fungicides.
• Contribute to the definition of sustainability indicators that assess the suitability of new soft wheat varieties in climate change scenarios and in more sustainable production systems.
• Perform joint statistical processing of the data, integrating information from the different test sites to obtain solid and extrapolatable conclusions.
• Establish and demonstrate strategies for the production sector based on the incorporation of varieties that improve adaptation to climate change and increase the sustainability of production.
• Transfer and disseminate the results in a clear and practical manner so that farmers and technicians can apply them directly in their decision-making.

Through all these actions, IRTA is making a decisive contribution to the overall objective of the project: to move towards a wheat production system that is more resilient, sustainable and aligned with current and future climate and environmental challenges.

More information on the project website: climsostrigo.es

Action of the Strategic Plan of the PAC 2023-2027 co-funded by: