Working with nature to improve crops

Making plants more efficient

About Capitalise

CAPITALISE is an EU funded Horizon 2020 project. We are combining science and innovation to improve photosynthesis for higher yielding crops.

The problem

Our approach

Our solutions

Our impact

Our objectives

What do we want to achieve?

We aim to exploit natural variation in core elements of photosynthesis to identify and develop new genetic resources and support tools.

These outcomes will then be used to improve the photosynthesis of core crop plants to increase yields. Our approach will form the basis for a science and innovation roadmap to kick start a targeted plant breeding programme for Europe 2030.

The CAPITALISE project

CAPITALISE is a large, complex and highly innovative programme.

We will translate world leading state of the art work on key photosynthesis traits from laboratory proof of concept studies using model plants, towards a European crop breeding programme demonstrating more than 10% increase in crop yields.

To achieve this ambition requires several highly innovative steps to advance the scientific and industrial applications.

We will capitalise on the three most promising strategies identified in model plants to discover the genetic resources needed to improve the photosynthetic properties of crop plants.

The latest news

Survey Launched: Breeders and Growers Tell Us What Research You Need

The CAPITALISE project has launched a Stakeholder Survey aimed at crop breeders and growers. We are super keen to catch as many views from across Europe as possible to get a good understanding of how public funding can be best allocated to meet industry needs. The...

SSSA and ARARI are capitalising on links to Africa

SSSA have been working in Ethiopia for 12 years and they are now collaborating with ARARI as partners in CAPITALISE. The initial connections came from SSSA’s innovative PhD programme in agrobiodiversity. This programme targets students from emerging countries and...

IPK Phenosphere

IPK’s PhenoSphere is a world-wide unique plant cultivation facility and is now fully operational. On an area of 1000 m² in four individual compartments, plants grow under strictly controlled, dynamic, field-like environmental conditions (light, air...