PILOT CASE

The pilot case is an applied practice-oriented teaching module, during which the students had to design a virtual breeding project on their own, from original demand to variety launching including seed production, marketing plan, and intellectual property management.

Students followed classic project specifications: estimate objective stakes, scope interfaces and departure hypotheses, describe expected results and deliveries, organise their team, phases of the project, evaluate budget and analyse risks, learn about adaptations to plant breeding. They were guided by a professor and a professional plant breeder but were responsible for the set-up of the design and the implementation of the project. Check out this video to see what current participants say.

During the Intensive Study Programme at UniLaSalle (10-21 October 2016) the participants from all EPBC universities who participated in the Pilot Case, have chosen their group and topics and they worked together on their defence until the 1st February 2017.

Find below the pilot case presentations of the students participated during the Intensive Study Programme at UniLaSalle:

1. Breeding for Hypoallergenic Peanuts in the EU

Hernán Capador, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Muhammad Bilal Sharif, UniLaSalle Beauvais.
Sibel Sökel, Ege University, Seed Science and Technology.
Nicolas Peille, UniLaSalle Beauvais
Jorge Ribes Revert, Polytechnic University of Valencia -UPV

2. TYLCV resistant and long shelf life tomatoes for Nigeria

Catherine C. Langat, UniLaSalle Beauvais
Beatrice-Joy Owusu-Ansah, UniLaSalle Beauvais
Ramsés Gómez Rodríguez, Polytechnic University of Valencia -UPV
Musa Kurt, Ege University, Seed Science and Technology.
Jon Bančič, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

3. Quinoa Pilot Case

Cindy Aguilar, Polytechnic University of Valencia -UPV
Ana Garcia, Polytechnic University of Valencia -UPV
Adreea Banita, UniLaSalle Beauvais
Alina Curcedean, UniLaSalle Beauvais

"We were thinking to create pure line variety of organic quinoa adapted to Spain. The principal traits are drought resistant, big grains and a good content of protein. The secondary traits are free of saponin, the plants to be short and non-branching. We were thinking to run our breeding project in central Spain, Castilla-La-Mancha. The breeding strategy is to collect 100 varieties from the genebank of Bolivia, Peru and commercial lines adapted to Europe and to perform individual selection in heterogeneous varieties. We are expecting to certify the new variety after 5 years of selection."

4. Breeding African Cabbage to improve dry season production in East Africa

Matthieu Guillotin, UniLaSalle Beauvais
Elif Gamze Ince, Ege University, Seed Science and Technology.
Jose M. Arroyo Caro, Polytechnic University of Valencia -UPV
Olivia Kacheyo, UniLaSalle Beauvais
Marcelle Johnson, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

"For this pilot case we are looking into improving the availability of an indigenous leafy vegetable Cleome gynandra during the dry season in Eastern Africa. The plant is indigenous to most sub-Saharan Africa and is used mainly for its nutritional content as a vegetable as well as for its medicinal properties among other things.

Through breeding for a high yielding, drought tolerant Cleome gynandra L., we will ensure availability of the indigenous vegetable for consumers throughout the whole year"

5. Cauliflower pilot case