Enhancing the competitiveness of organic crop breeding: focus on intercropping adapted varieties
Forthcoming
Status as published by the data source.
Expected Outcome:
Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
• the efficiency and competitiveness of the organic crop breeding sector are boosted by providing organic breeders with a comprehensive toolbox to develop varieties specifically adapted to intercropping and suitable for organic production;
• an improved understanding of key target traits for developing varieties adapted to intercropping farming systems is available to researchers and breeders, benefiting all agricultural systems;
• the foundation for the development of future crop varieties that enhance benefits derived by intercropping, such as improved pest/weed management, increased nutrient and water use efficiency, improved pollination, improved soil fertility, reduced soil erosion and nutrient leaching, and enhanced productivity, is established. Scope:
Plant breeding has focused on maximising yield in single species stands for monocropping systems, leading to highly productive yet specialised varieties. As a result, most varieties on the market may not perform well in intercropping systems, where productivity and benefits often depend on the interactions between crops. To support farming practices that promote agrobiodiversity, there is a need to develop varieties specifically adapted to intercropping. However, selecting varieties specifically for intercropping remains a practical challenge for breeding.
Proposals should:
• provide novel insights into interactions and mechanisms that influence intercrop performance by advancing understanding of plant traits affecting both inter- and intraspecific interactions and their impact on crop outcomes. The approach should consider eco-physiological processes[1] and ideally encompass both aboveground crop interactions and belowground dynamics between intercropped roots and soil organisms;
• develop new organic breeding approaches that prioritise enhancing crop performance within multi-species systems, emphasising the importance of competition, complementarity and facilitation mechanisms between crops;
• identify crop combinations and superior–performing variety combinations that consistently yield well together;
• provide inputs for the development of future testing and selection criteria, as well as tools and methods for evaluating the performance of specialized genotypes in intercropping conditions, laying the groundwork for breeders and bodies entrusted to establish these frameworks. Particular attention should be given to aspects related to the regulations for the use and development of Organic Heterogeneous Material (OHM) and/or Organic Varieties Suitable for Organic Production (OVSOP) as innovative categories of plant reproductive material.
If applicable, proposal may advance pre-existing breeding material towards the development of OHM and/or OVSOP for intercropping, making use of the knowledge and tools developed within the project.
Proposals should build on the results of relevant projects funded under Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe and ensure collaboration with relevant ongoing projects.
Proposals are encouraged to consider, where relevant, the data, expertise and services offered by European research infrastructure[2] in the environment, biological and food domains.
Proposals may provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) to, for instance, develop, test and demonstrate the new organic breeding approaches for intercropping.
The projects under this topic are relevant to the EU policies related to the EU Vision for Agriculture and Food, to the EU Action Plan for the Development of Organic Production[3] , to the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 (notably target 8) and to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (target 10).
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Activities are expected to achieve TRL 4-5 by the end of the project – see General Annex B. Activities may start at any TRL.
[1] biological and physiological mechanisms that plants undergo to interact with the surrounding physical, chemical and biological environments when cultivated in an intercrop system (e.g. nutrient/water uptake, root structure, interactions with insects/pollinators, disease incidents).
[2] The catalogue of European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) research infrastructures portfolio can be browsed from ESFRI website https://ri-portfolio.esfri.eu/
[3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52021DC0141R%2801%29
- Status
- Forthcoming
- Deadline
- (time not stated)
- Opens
- Published
- Total budget
- €12,000,000
- Grant range
- €6,000,000 – €6,000,000
- Country
- European Union (EU-wide)
- Programme
- Horizon Europe (HORIZON)
- Official page
- Open at the source portal
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All calls under this programme
Similar opportunities
- Enhancing farmer's profitability and resilience through innovations for diversified crops and value chains
- Improving understanding of the contribution of the organic farming sector to sustainability
- Boosting agrobiodiversity for food security and sustainable competitiveness
- Towards commercialization of food systems microbiome solutions
- Fostering common farmland birds and mammals for resilient food production systems
- Balancing food security, bioeconomy, climate and biodiversity objectives to unlock sustainable value chains
Where this came from
- Source document
- https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/data/topicDetails/horizon-cl6-2027-01-biodiv-09.json
- Document fingerprint
6e0d9d94a9b8b545(SHA-256, first 16 hex characters)- Retrieved
- First recorded here
What has changed
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- currency first recorded as EUR on
- amount_max first recorded as 6000000.00 on
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- budget_total first recorded as 12000000.00 on
- deadline first recorded as 2027-09-22 on
- opens_on first recorded as 2027-04-20 on
- published_on first recorded as 2025-12-12 on
- status_basis first recorded as source_status on
- status first recorded as forthcoming on
- title first recorded as Enhancing the competitiveness of organic crop breeding: focus on intercropping adapted varieties on
Data source
© European Union, 2026. Source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Reused under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU — CC BY 4.0.
Retrieved from the source on .
The source last updated this document on Mon, 02 Mar 2026 09:37:51 GMT.
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