Accelerated domestication of orphan crops and wild plants

The symposium will discuss on capitalizing on unexploited natural diversity by using already resilient wild plants as a basis for domestication of novel crops. Nature has provided multiple solutions on how to cope with environmental stresses but the traits are complex and difficult to transfer from one plant to another. Thus, instead of examining how to make the refined plants more robust, the symposium will address how to harness the hardiness of wild plants as a starting-point to make crops that are resilient to diseases and extreme weather events. The output of the symposium will generate new ideas, create enthusiasm and inspire scientists working on sustainable agricultural systems adapted to demanding environments, which could be a turning point for agricultural research.