East-West Seed, which specialises in tropical vegetable seeds in Asia, has awarded plant scientist Nina Alejandro Perez its thesis prize for Plant Sciences at the Royal Dutch Society for Sciences.
According to the group, one of the top ten seed companies globally, Perez's fundamental research into the plant Solanum dulcamara provides insights into its 'extraordinary adaptability to environmental extremes'.
Solanum dulcamara is related to tomato and thrives everywhere in the Netherlands, both in humid grounds and in dryer areas such as the Dutch dunes.
Perez studied the relevance of epigenetics for the plant's ability to adapt to habitat extremes. The results provide insights into the role of epigenetics in adaptation to flooding or drought. This fundamental knowledge can be valuable for development of new crops that are less sensitive to climate change or better able to adapt to habitat extremes.
'I am very enthusiastic about Nina's research,' said Bert van der Feltz, CEO of East-West Seed. 'Her findings are important in the development of new tropical vegetable varieties. Our breeders in Asia focus on continuous improvement of vegetable crops that are adapted to tropical weather conditions and local demand.'
