Timeline

Grain yield data of the 2017-2018 multi-location field trial using site-nominated commercial winter wheat varieties, obtained across the ECOFE network partners and sites.
February 2019

Meeting in Bonn, Germany, Hosted by DFG to discuss the first results of the 2017-2018 field trials and to define the path forward… towards ‘real world’ phenotyping.

The first results look very promising and all partners are motivated to continue with ECOFE connected field trial experiments and to process the data.

September 2018

The 12 institutes sew the same 12 winter wheat varieties, consisting of one typical (“national”) cultivar per participating institute in the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Italy and Spain.

Maize
Spring 2018

In Spring 2018, a maize field trial on different locations in these 9 countries will be set up as well.

wheat
September 2017

Start of first winter wheat multi-location field trial! 12 institutes (15 in total including partner institutes) in 9 countries participate in ECOFE so far. 12 winter wheat varieties, one typical (“national”) cultivar per participating institutes are grown in the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Italy and Spain.

Bonn
February 2017

Meeting in Bonn, Germany, with ECOFE consortium to discuss first connected field trial network experiment. ECOFE outline page is drafted. Timelines, requirements and action plan is drawn up to initiate first multi-location field trial still this year.

Ghent
June 2016

Concept meeting of ECOFE network at the VIB – Ghent, Belgium with core group. Consortium of participating countries and institutes formed.

Field
Early 2016

Following up on that discussion, Hartmut Stützel, Nicholas Brüggemann and Dirk Inzé wrote an article “The Future of Field Trials in Europe: Establishing a Network Beyond Bounderies that appeared in Trends in Plant Science. This paper triggered a lot of positive response and interest from several institutes, demonstrating the willingness and need of European agricultural researchers to join in such an initiative.