The Austrian Seed Association in cooperation with BOKU and HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein invites you to participate at the 76th Plant Breeder’s Meeting, 24 – 26 November 2025 in Raumberg-Gumpenstein.
Theme 2025: “Breeding for the hidden half: challenges and new opportunities”
Root traits of plants are usually overlooked by breeding compared to above-ground traits like yield and disease resistance despite they play a critical role in water and nutrient uptake, anchorage, and plant-microbiome interactions. Especially under challenging environmental conditions such as limitations in the availability of soil nutrients and soil water, an efficient root system is of major importance. However, considering root traits in the breeding process is difficult as they are underground, making phenotyping labor-intensive and time-consuming, can vary significantly depending on soil type and other environmental factors, and are often controlled by complex genetics. Advanced imaging techniques and new insights in genomics and transcriptomics may help to study root systems during their development and without disturbing the soil, and to identifying genes associated with desirable root traits.
