Modern crops have lost valuable genetic diversity through domestication, while crop wild relatives (CWRs) retain traits important for resilience and adaptation. The COUSIN Project provides high-quality genomic resources and maps for multiple CWR species, enabling the identification of beneficial genes and supporting their targeted introgression into modern crops to accelerate breeding for improved performance and resistance.

15 – How genomics can help to unlock wild genetic potential for crop improvment
Chiara Degl'Innocenti

