P09 – BARLEY-RESILIENCE: Utilizing wild barley genes in breeding, which increase drought resilience, and characterizing their molecular function

Abstract
The project focuses on improving drought resilience of barley, a highly adaptable and globally important crop. Utilizing high-throughput phenotyping, transcriptome and methylome sequencing, as well as CRISPR-generated knock-out lines, the project addresses the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underlying barley’s ability to maintain yield and performance under abiotic stress. For this, introgression populations derived from crosses of wild species with elite cultivars will be further characterized. Multi-location field trials, combined with advanced genomic analyses, will support the development of new elite barley cultivars with enhanced drought tolerance, addressing a critical challenge posed by climate change to global agriculture.