Could the next breakthrough in wheat breeding happen below ground?

AARHUS, DENMARK – September 2026

By: Kimie Kongsøre 

What if the next breakthrough in wheat breeding is not only about the plant itself, but about how well it works with microscopic organisms living around its roots?

That is the question behind EVOLVE, a new European research project coordinated by Aarhus University’s Department of Food Science (AU FOOD). Over the next three years, researchers from eight organisations in seven countries will investigate whether wheat can send biological signals to microorganisms around its roots – and whether some wheat genotypes are better than others at influencing these microorganisms in ways that benefit the plant.

The project focuses on a possible mechanism involving tiny biological particles known as extracellular vesicles.

”Think of them as small packages,” says Ivan A. Paponov, Associate Professor at Aarhus University’s Department of Food Science and coordinator of EVOLVE. ”They are enclosed by a membrane and can carry biological molecules such as small RNAs.”

The researchers will investigate whether these vesicles can carry signals from wheat roots to specific microorganisms, whether the microorganisms respond to those signals, and whether the interaction can help the plant use nutrients more efficiently or cope better with environmental stress.

A new trait for plant breeding?

Beneath every wheat field is a complex microbial community. Some microorganisms can help plants access nutrients, while others may contribute to their ability to cope with drought and other stresses.

Plants are not passive in this relationship. Their roots release substances that influence the microorganisms living around them.

EVOLVE asks whether these interactions could eventually become relevant for plant breeding.

Plant breeders normally select wheat for traits such as yield, quality and resistance to drought or other stresses. But different wheat genotypes may also differ in how they interact with the microorganisms around their roots.

”If some wheat plants are better at influencing beneficial microorganisms, this could potentially become a trait that breeders can select for,” Paponov says.

”For us, this opens up an exciting new opportunity for plant breeding. But first, we need to establish whether the idea works.”

The project will begin by investigating 48 different wheat genotypes. Researchers will combine plant biology, molecular biology, microbiology, bioinformatics and artificial intelligence to look for patterns in the complex interactions between plants and microorganisms.

Could microorganisms help wheat use nutrients more efficiently?

Nitrogen is one of the major questions in the project.

Wheat requires nitrogen for growth, and farmers currently supply much of it through fertiliser. But plants do not take up all the nitrogen added to agricultural soils, and some can be lost to the environment.

EVOLVE will investigate whether wheat can influence microorganisms that contribute to nutrient availability – and whether extracellular vesicles and the biological molecules they carry play a role.

The project will also investigate algae-based biofertilisers. Rather than simply supplying nutrients, the researchers will explore whether algae could provide extracellular vesicles and other biological signals that influence the microbial community around plant roots.

The broader idea is to investigate whether a biofertiliser could do more than feed the plant – and potentially help shape a microbial community that supports the plant.

Looking for better drought resilience

Drought is another major focus.

Some microorganisms associated with plant roots and can help plants cope with water scarcity. EVOLVE will investigate whether extracellular vesicles released by wheat can influence these microorganisms, and whether different wheat genotypes vary in their ability to do so.

If the researchers identify useful differences between wheat genotypes, the findings could eventually contribute to breeding crops that maintain yield and quality more effectively under difficult environmental conditions.

But the researchers stress that this is still a hypothesis to be tested.

”We don’t know yet whether these interactions work in the way we suspect,” Paponov says. ”First, we need to understand what signals the plants produce, how they work, which microorganisms respond to them, and whether these interactions differ between wheat genotypes.”

From an intriguing idea to scientific evidence

EVOLVE brings together eight organisations from Denmark, Israel, Poland, Austria, Germany, Spain and France.

The project has received 4.27 million Euros in funding from the European Union under Horizon Europe, EIC Pathfinder Challenges, and will run for 36 months.

The researchers hope the project can provide new knowledge about how plants and microorganisms communicate – and determine whether these interactions could eventually be used in crop improvement.

If successful, EVOLVE could point towards a different way of thinking about plant breeding: not only selecting plants for what they can do themselves, but also for how effectively they interact with the microscopic community surrounding their roots.

Read the full story from Aarhus University’s Department of Food Science: https://food.au.dk/currently/news/nyhed/artikel/what-if-the-next-breakthrough-in-wheat-breeding-happens-below-ground

About EVOLVE

EVOLVE – “Translating Extracellular Vesicle Communication into AI-Guided Breeding and Smart Biofertilization” – is an EU-funded research project coordinated by Aarhus University. The consortium comprises eight partners in seven countries.

The project has received EUR 4,268,983 in funding under Horizon Europe, EIC Pathfinder Challenges (grant agreement no. 101307269), administered by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA).

Scientific publication

Paponov, I.A., Schulz, S., Schloter, M., Conesa, A., Leshem, Y. (2025). Extracellular vesicles in the rhizosphere: targets to improve nutrient use efficiency of crops? Frontiers in Plant Science 16, 1681793.