G2P-SOL · Project

Searchable Crop Database Helping Breeders Find Better Potato, Tomato, Pepper and Eggplant Varieties

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Imagine you run a seed company and need a tomato that resists a new disease — but the perfect gene is hiding somewhere in 65,000 seed samples scattered across gene banks worldwide. G2P-SOL built a single online gateway that connects the DNA fingerprint of each sample to its real-world traits like taste, yield, and disease resistance. Think of it as a search engine for crop genetics: type in what you need, and it tells you which seed sample has it. The project also pre-bred promising traits into ready-to-use plant lines, so breeders don't have to start from scratch.

By the numbers

65,000+

seed accessions catalogued across four Solanaceae crops

66%

of European horticultural production value covered by these four crops

research and industry partners in the consortium

countries represented in the partnership

2-3

novel traits per crop pre-bred into elite germplasm

EUR 6,891,265

total EU investment in the project

The business problem

What needed solving

Developing new crop varieties is slow and expensive because breeders can't easily find which of the thousands of available seed samples carry the traits they need. Genetic data and real-world trait data sit in separate databases across different countries, making it nearly impossible to match a desired property — like drought tolerance or better taste — to the right source material.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered the G2P-SOL gateway v2.0, an open-source platform linking genomic data to real-world crop traits across 65,000+ accessions of potato, tomato, pepper, and eggplant. It also produced 2-3 novel traits per crop already pre-bred into elite germplasm ready for further breeding work.

Audience

Who needs this

Vegetable seed companies developing new potato, tomato, pepper or eggplant varietiesAgTech startups building digital breeding or crop analytics toolsLarge-scale vegetable growers seeking climate-adapted varietiesFood processors looking for improved raw material quality and consistencyGene banks and breeding institutes modernizing their data infrastructure

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Seed and plant breeding

any

Target: Seed companies developing new vegetable varieties

If you are a seed company spending years screening germplasm for disease resistance or improved yield — this project built the G2P-SOL gateway linking over 65,000 accessions of potato, tomato, pepper and eggplant to their genomic and trait data. Instead of blind screening, you can search digitally for the exact trait you need and trace it to available seed material. The project also delivered 2-3 novel traits per crop already pre-bred into elite germplasm, cutting years off your breeding pipeline.

Fresh produce and food processing

mid-size

Target: Vegetable growers and processors seeking climate-adapted varieties

If you are a vegetable grower or processor struggling with yield losses from heat stress, new pests, or changing consumer preferences — this project mapped which genetic traits drive climate adaptation and nutritional quality across four crops that represent 66% of European horticultural production value. The open-access gateway lets you work with breeders to identify varieties matched to your growing conditions and market needs, backed by standardized phenotype data from 19 research institutions across 12 countries.

Agricultural biotechnology and digital farming

SME

Target: AgTech companies building crop analytics or precision breeding platforms

If you are an AgTech company building digital tools for precision breeding or crop management — this project created an open-source bioinformatics platform with standardized ontology terms for describing crop traits, plus genomic and metabolomic datasets covering four major Solanaceae crops. The G2P-SOL gateway v2.0 offers structured, machine-readable data you can integrate into your own analytics products, covering genotype-to-phenotype links across 65,000 accessions.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to access the G2P-SOL platform and data?

The G2P-SOL gateway was built as an open-source platform, meaning the data and software are freely accessible. However, licensing terms for using pre-bred germplasm in commercial breeding programs would need to be negotiated with the coordinating institution (ENEA, Italy) and relevant gene bank partners. Access must comply with the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources and the Nagoya Protocol.

Can these breeding results work at industrial scale?

The project worked with over 65,000 accessions and delivered 2-3 novel traits per crop pre-bred into elite germplasm, which is the standard starting point for commercial variety development. Scaling to commercial varieties still requires several years of field trials and regulatory registration, but the pre-breeding work significantly shortens that timeline.

Who owns the intellectual property and how is it licensed?

As a publicly funded EU project (RIA), the core platform and datasets are open-access. IP on specific pre-bred lines likely resides with the consortium partners who developed them. The project explicitly operates under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources and the Nagoya Protocol, which govern access and benefit-sharing for genetic material.

Is this compatible with existing breeding and gene bank systems?

Yes — the G2P-SOL gateway was specifically designed for easy interfacing with existing platforms for germplasm cataloguing. The project developed common ontology terms for describing phenotypes, ensuring data from different sources can be compared and integrated. This was a core design goal across all 19 consortium partners.

What crops does this cover and why should I care?

The project covers potato, tomato, pepper, and eggplant — four crops that together make up 66% of the value of European horticultural production. If your business touches any of these crops, from breeding to growing to processing, the genetic insights from this project are directly relevant to improving your varieties and supply chain resilience.

Is the project still active and who maintains the platform?

The project ran from 2016 to 2021 and is now closed. The G2P-SOL gateway v2.0 was the final platform version delivered. Long-term maintenance would depend on the coordinator ENEA and partner institutions. Based on available project data, continuity arrangements should be confirmed directly with the consortium.

Consortium

Who built it

The G2P-SOL consortium of 19 partners across 12 countries is heavily research-oriented, with 9 research institutions and 3 universities forming the scientific backbone. The 4 industry partners (including 4 SMEs, representing a 21% industry ratio) signal real-world breeding sector involvement, though this is a research-led project coordinated by ENEA, Italy's national energy and technology agency. The geographic spread — from the Netherlands and France (major seed industry hubs) to Israel, Turkey, Peru, and Taiwan — reflects the global nature of crop genetic resources. For a business looking to access these results, the key contacts would be the industry partners already in the consortium and the major gene banks that contributed the 65,000+ accessions.

AGENZIA NAZIONALE PER LE NUOVE TECNOLOGIE, L'ENERGIA E LO SVILUPPO ECONOMICO SOSTENIBILECoordinator · IT
THE JAMES HUTTON INSTITUTEparticipant · UK
PHENOM NETWORKS LTDparticipant · IL
LEIBNIZ - INSTITUT FUER PFLANZENGENETIK UND KULTURPFLANZENFORSCHUNGparticipant · DE
EURICE EUROPEAN RESEARCH AND PROJECT OFFICE GMBHparticipant · DE
THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH ORGANISATION OF ISRAEL - THE VOLCANI CENTREparticipant · IL
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TORINOparticipant · IT
ASIAN VEGETABLE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTERparticipant · TW
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRYparticipant · TR
MARITSA VEGETABLE CROPS RESEARCH INSTITUTEparticipant · BG
THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEMparticipant · IL
UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE VALENCIAparticipant · ES
INSTYTUT HODOWLI I AKLIMATYZACJI ROSLIN - PANSTWOWY INSTYTUT BADAWCZYparticipant · PL
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
STICHTING WAGENINGEN RESEARCHparticipant · NL

How to reach the team

ENEA (Agenzia Nazionale per le Nuove Tecnologie, l'Energia e lo Sviluppo Economico Sostenibile), Italy — national research agency, contact through institutional channels

Order a report on this consortium See AGENZIA NAZIONALE PER LE NUOVE TECNOLOGIE, L'ENERGIA E LO SVILUPPO ECONOMICO SOSTENIBILE profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how G2P-SOL's crop genetics database or pre-bred germplasm could accelerate your breeding program? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the right consortium partner for your specific crop and trait needs.

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