Characterisation, Protection, Sustainable use and Valorisation of Vanilla Biodiversity in Tropical EU – VaBiome

Vanilla is an emblematic patrimonial and endemic resource for tropical EU regions and combines a high socio-economic value with a natural image due to its traditional and sustainable mode of production and process. Tropical EU regions offer a unique opportunity to study the genus in its global biodiversity.
The stake of vanilla sustainability relies on three capacities: Our capacity to protect the wild vanilla species through their conservation and study, our capacity to exploit our knowledge of this biodiversity to diversify the quality of the vanilla product, and our capacity to improve cultivated vanilla (aroma, disease resistance, agronomy). The five regions involved (Reunion, French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Mayotte) will share Vanilla genetic resources and biodiversity management and development skills as well as scientific expertise (together with IBP/Paris) to develop these capacities to reach two objectives:
The main research objectives of the project are first to improve our scientific knowledge to implement actions in the preservation of vanilla wild genetic resources in tropical UE (both ex situ and in situ) and subsequently, to identify what services wild species can offer for the improvement of cultivated species and the sustainability of vanilla crop production.
We will inventory and characterise (genetic, phenotypic and mechanisms of evolution and diversification) the wide range of Vanilla genetic resources both cultivated and natural in tropical EU to protect and value endemic species and resources. We will also assess important agronomical traits in these species (aroma, resistance to viruses and fusarioses), and how these traits can be combined through hybrid breeding (V. xtahitensis x V. pompona). Innovative candidate gene markers from a collaborative international metagenomic project will be used to implement genome enabled improvement strategies for vanilla. The direct participation of biodiversity management and sustainable development stakeholder partners will allow implementing the results with regards to these two aspects, for each region involved.
VaBiome is a highly structuring project which will contribute to build the future and long term international conservation of the genus diversity as well as the aromatic exploitation of this beloved product.