On September 4–5, 2024, the CROPINNO consortium gathered in Novi Sad for a two-day workshop titled “Omics in Improvement for Drought Tolerance.”

The workshop featured sessions on phenomics, genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and epigenomics. Topics ranged from root cell wall responses to drought stress, phenomic data from rhizotron experiments, and transcriptomic comparisons between sunflower lines under PEG-induced stress, to genomic insights from potato drought studies and first results from epigenomic analyses in sunflower. A webinar by Novogene also introduced participants to emerging tools for epigenomic research.

Interactive discussions followed each session, fostering interdisciplinary exchange and aligning future procedures for breeding climate-resilient crops. The event also included a General Assembly meeting and a social dinner at Petrovaradin Fortress, reinforcing collaboration across the CROPINNO network.

This workshop laid the groundwork for integrating omics-based approaches into upcoming CROPINNO experiments, strengthening the project’s capacity to decode drought tolerance mechanisms in sunflower.