Botanic program of participatory varietal selection in the E.U. 

The progressive replacement of local varieties, selected by farmers for centuries, by commercial varieties is causing a worrying loss of diversity in our crops, as well as a greater dependence on plant protection products and mineral and organic fertilizers. In this context, our project tries to highlight the immense value of local varieties, a source of characters of essential interest for the genetic improvement of crops. To do this, we have started a research work that includes local varieties of Brassica from 3 geographical areas as diverse as Ireland, Azores and Galicia, in which we study their performance and adaptation, as well as other characters of interest such as resistance to pests and diseases. During the development of this study we will carry out a small-scale improvement program, in which we will select the plants that show the best characteristics, allowing their crossing to finally make the selection of those genotypes with better quality and better adapted to the growing conditions from each of the countries involved in the project. Our work is supported by the work carried out over the years by entities such as the Misión Biológica de Galicia. Decades visiting agrarian societies and local farmers to collect, study and preserve native Galician varieties, which in those days were disappearing at a high speed as they were replaced by commercial hybrids. The collection of Galician varieties was completed with some local breeds from other parts of the Iberian Peninsula and old previously preserved varieties. The study of these populations was undertaken through the completion of doctoral theses and the results have been published in scientific and popular magazines. The extensive experience of the MBG is reflected in the robustness of our experimental design. The comparative study and the conclusions obtained, as well as the results of this experience at a pedagogical level, will be offered to the scientific community at an international level through publications that will see the light in 2023. And even more, the general public will have the opportunity to know the results through the documentary and the didactic guide, which will bring our conclusions closer to non-expert citizens, bringing science closer together and disseminating the opportunities that agriculture offers as an economic engine and source of knowledge. Finally, the collaboration between countries of the E.U. and the immersive experience that exchange students will benefit from will contribute to the consolidation of the founding values ​​of the U.E. as a space for tolerance, respect for diversity, equality and democracy.

The project "Botanical program for participatory selection and improvement in the European Union" is co-financed by the Erasmus + program of the European Union. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the CPI Mosteiro-Meis and neither the European Commission nor the Spanish Service for the Internationalization of Education (SEPIE) are responsible for the use that may be made of the information published here.

This project is part of the Social Work of the Antón Losada Diéguez Foundation that coordinates jointly with the rest of the partners as part of their non-profit work for the promotion of Galician Culture