ECPGR European Evaluation Network (EVA)

The ECPGR European Evaluation Network (EVA) for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA) is an international project aimed at increasing the use of crop genetic diversity and the diversity of stakeholders in plant breeding. EVA is of strategic importance for Europe and provides an opportunity to promote sustainable use of PGRFA to facilitate adaptation of European agriculture to climate change and to contribute towards achieving related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In collaborative projects involving public and private sector partners and through participatory plant breeding actions EVA is generating standardized evaluation data (both phenotypic and genotypic data) for numerous crop accessions and landraces available in European gene banks. EVA is implemented through crop-specific networks, covering both cereals (wheat, barley and maize) and vegetable crops (carrot, lettuce, pepper).