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

The CAPITALISE project is coming to a close

Last month the final CAPITALISE meeting took place in Wageningen, the Netherlands. Project partners showed their final results and prepared for the reporting period to come. Many thanks to all of those who have contributed to the CAPITALISE newsletter over the...

Poster presentation at Euroseeds Congress

Our CAPITALISE poster, highlighting the benefits of improved photosynthesis to crops was presented at the October 2024 Euroseeds Congress in Copenhagen. Euroseeds is a trade organisation representing the plant breeding and seed industry. The Euroseeds Congress...

A Roadmap for Photosynthesis to Drive Crop Improvement

Our roadmap, Time to Translate, was presented to European Commission officials on the 29th of November to highlight the importance of translating improved photosynthesis traits to European crops The presentation took place in Euroseeds, Brussels at our workshop:...