BRESOV · Project

Climate-Tough Organic Vegetable Varieties Ready for Seed Companies and Growers

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Imagine your best tomato or broccoli plants dying off because summers keep getting hotter and drier — that's the reality organic farmers already face. A team of 23 partners across 13 countries spent five years crossbreeding tougher versions of tomato, broccoli, bean, and kohlrabi that can handle heat, drought, and low-nitrogen soils without synthetic chemicals. They dug into old heritage varieties and wild relatives to find the strongest genes, then tested the new lines on real organic farms. The result is a set of improved seeds and rootstocks that organic growers and seed companies can start working with.

By the numbers

Vegetable crops improved (tomato, broccoli, bean, kohlrabi)

Consortium partners involved

Countries where varieties were tested

Total project deliverables produced

Demo deliverables with improved breeding materials

SME partners in the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Organic vegetable growers face increasing crop failures as climate change brings more extreme heat, drought, and unpredictable weather — but most available organic seed varieties were never bred for these stresses. Seed companies lack a pipeline of climate-adapted organic varieties, and food processors face supply disruptions when organic harvests collapse. The entire organic vegetable value chain needs tougher, better-performing varieties bred specifically for organic conditions.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered improved tomato rootstocks for organic agriculture, a curated recommended set of materials for organic farming, and newly bred improved elite breeding lines — all for tomato, broccoli, bean, and kohlrabi. These were tested across 13 countries in organic farming systems for tolerance to water, temperature, and nitrogen stress, plus resistance to pests and diseases, and quality traits like taste and post-harvest shelf life. A total of 30 deliverables were produced.

Audience

Who needs this

Organic seed companies looking to expand their climate-resilient variety portfolioCommercial organic vegetable growers losing yield to heat and droughtFood processors and retailers needing stable organic vegetable supply chainsAgricultural advisory services working with organic farmersPlant nurseries producing rootstocks and seedlings for the organic sector

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Organic seed production

SME

Target: Seed companies specializing in organic or specialty vegetable varieties

If you are an organic seed company struggling to offer varieties that perform reliably under drought and heat — this project developed improved elite breeding lines and recommended material sets for tomato, broccoli, bean, and kohlrabi tested across 13 countries. These pre-commercial lines can feed directly into your breeding pipeline, giving you a head start on climate-adapted organic varieties.

Organic vegetable farming

any

Target: Commercial organic vegetable growers facing yield losses from climate stress

If you are an organic grower losing yield to hotter summers, water restrictions, or pest pressure — this project tested improved tomato rootstocks and new vegetable varieties specifically selected for water, temperature, and nitrogen stress tolerance in organic systems. Adopting these varieties could stabilize your harvests without relying on synthetic inputs.

Food processing and fresh produce supply

mid-size

Target: Vegetable processors and retailers sourcing organic produce

If you are a food processor or retailer dealing with inconsistent organic vegetable supply due to climate-driven crop failures — this project bred varieties selected for taste, visual appearance, and post-harvest performance under stress conditions. A more reliable upstream supply of climate-resilient organic vegetables means fewer disruptions to your product lines.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to access these improved varieties?

The project was a publicly funded Research and Innovation Action, so the breeding lines and recommended material sets are expected to be available through the consortium partners. Licensing or material transfer terms would need to be negotiated directly with the coordinator (University of Catania) or the 4 SME partners involved. Costs would depend on whether you need raw germplasm or commercially finished seed.

Can these varieties work at industrial scale?

The varieties were selected and tested under real organic farming conditions across 13 countries with diverse climates, which is a strong indicator of broad adaptability. However, these are pre-commercial breeding lines and recommended material sets — scaling to commercial seed production would require further multiplication and variety registration steps. The 3 industry partners and 4 SMEs in the consortium were involved precisely to bridge the gap toward commercial readiness.

What is the IP situation — can I license these varieties?

As a publicly funded EU project (RIA), results are typically subject to open access principles, but plant breeding materials often have specific IP protections like Plant Variety Rights. You would need to contact the consortium — particularly the breeding companies among the 3 industry partners — to clarify licensing terms for specific lines.

Which crops exactly were improved?

The project focused on 4 vegetable crops: tomato, broccoli, bean, and kohlrabi. Demo deliverables specifically highlight improved tomato rootstocks for organic agriculture, a recommended set of materials, and newly bred improved elite materials. All were selected for performance under water, temperature, and nitrogen stress.

How were these tested in real conditions?

Selection was conducted in organic vegetable farming systems using annual crop rotation schemes across partners in 13 countries spanning diverse climatic zones from Tunisia to the UK. The consortium included 9 research institutes and 8 universities running field trials, with active farmer involvement in the selection process.

Do these varieties meet organic certification requirements?

Yes — the entire project was designed for organic production systems from the start. Varieties were bred and selected specifically under organic conditions without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. They were also evaluated for resistance to pests and diseases to reduce the need for any external inputs.

What support is available for adopting these results?

The consortium of 23 partners includes advisory services and breeding companies that participated in the project. The project website (bresov.eu) and the 30 published deliverables provide technical documentation. For hands-on support or material access, contacting the coordinator at University of Catania or the relevant sector SME partners would be the starting point.

Consortium

Who built it

BRESOV assembled 23 partners from 13 countries — a genuinely international effort spanning European and non-EU countries (China, South Korea, Tunisia). The consortium is heavily research-oriented with 8 universities and 9 research institutes, reflecting the deep scientific nature of plant breeding. The commercial side is lighter: only 3 industry partners and 4 SMEs (13% industry ratio), which means the path from lab to market will need additional commercial partners. For a business looking to adopt these results, the key contacts would be the SME partners who understand commercialization and the University of Catania as coordinator. The geographic spread across diverse climates (from Mediterranean Italy to Northern Europe and North Africa) is a genuine asset — varieties tested this broadly are less likely to fail in your specific conditions.

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI CATANIACoordinator · IT
UNIVERSIDADE DE TRAS-OS-MONTES E ALTO DOUROparticipant · PT
EURICE EUROPEAN RESEARCH AND PROJECT OFFICE GMBHparticipant · DE
ZHEJIANG ACADEMY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCESparticipant · CN
PROSPECIERARAparticipant · CH
FORSCHUNGSINSTITUT FUR BIOLOGISCHEN LANDBAU STIFTUNGparticipant · CH
SERVICIO REGIONAL DE INVESTIGACION Y DESARROLLO AGROALIMENTARIO DEL PRINCIPADO DE ASTURIASparticipant · ES
UNIVERSIDAD DE ALMERIAparticipant · ES
EUROSEEDSparticipant · BE
THE UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOLparticipant · UK
STATIUNEA DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU LEGUMICULTURA BACAUparticipant · RO
UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE VALENCIAparticipant · ES
NARODNI CENTRUM ZEMEDELSKEHO A POTRAVINARSKEHO VYZKUMU V V Iparticipant · CZ
UNIVERSITA POLITECNICA DELLE MARCHEparticipant · IT
INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE POUR L'AGRICULTURE, L'ALIMENTATION ET L'ENVIRONNEMENTparticipant · FR
CONSIGLIO PER LA RICERCA IN AGRICOLTURA E L'ANALISI DELL'ECONOMIA AGRARIAparticipant · IT

How to reach the team

Coordinator is Universita degli Studi di Catania (Italy). Search for the BRESOV project lead in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment for direct contact.

Order a report on this consortium See UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI CATANIA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to access BRESOV's improved organic vegetable varieties or connect with their breeding partners? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the right consortium member for your needs.

Order a report on this topic More in Food & Agriculture