Efforts to combat a plant disease that increasingly threatens lettuce production have taken a significant step forward, thanks to €1.5 million in funding for a new research initiative. The project will investigate the molecular interactions between lettuce and Fusarium oxysporum, the soil-borne fungus responsible for Fusarium wilt.
Led by biologist Michael Seidl in collaboration with Guido van den Ackerveken, the project brings together researchers from the University of Amsterdam and several major plant breeding companies. The goal is to better understand how the pathogen evolves and gains virulence under shifting climate conditions — insights that could guide the development of disease-resistant lettuce varieties suited to a warming world, according to a press release.
Fusarium wilt has become a major global threat to lettuce production, with recent outbreaks across Europe causing significant losses in yield and quality. Scientists suspect that climate change is contributing to the pathogen’s increasing impact, as its growth is strongly influenced by environmental conditions.
TKI Funding
The research is supported by €1.5 million in funding from the Topconsortium for Knowledge and Innovation (TKI) Horticulture and Starting Materials, with additional contributions from industry partners. This support enables Seidl and his team to begin work on developing more resilient lettuce varieties for the future of sustainable agriculture.
“Lettuce is a vital crop, both economically and nutritionally,” says Seidl. “But now we see Fusarium wilt becoming an increasingly aggressive disease, due to climate change. This poses a serious threat to global lettuce production.”
With TKI funding now secured, Michael Seidl’s team will begin investigating how Fusarium oxysporum evolves and what occurs at the molecular level during infection of lettuce plants. The research will also explore how climate change influences the progression and severity of the disease.
Advanced Technologies and Facilities
The research will be conducted at Utrecht University and the University of Amsterdam, using advanced genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic tools to decode the molecular mechanisms driving Fusarium wilt. Experiments will also be carried out at Utrecht University’s state-of-the-art Netherlands Plant Eco-phenotyping Centre (NPEC), where scientists will simulate various climate scenarios to study how temperature shifts affect interactions between lettuce and the pathogen.
A Collaborative Effort Between Academia and Industry
The project is a collaborative effort between academic institutions and major global plant breeding companies. Industry partners — including BASF|Nunhems, Bejo, Enza Zaden, Limagrain, Rijk Zwaan, Syngenta, and Takii — will contribute both financial support and in-kind resources. Together, they are co-funding half of the €1.5 million TKI investment, ensuring the research is closely aligned with practical breeding goals and real-world agricultural needs.
“This project is a great opportunity to bring together academia and industry to tackle a major agricultural challenge,” says Seidl. “Together, we are integrating cutting-edge genomics and molecular biology techniques with climate data. This way, we aim to not only understand the current dynamics of Fusarium wilt but also anticipate future outbreaks. Ultimately, we can equip plant breeders with the necessary tools to develop resistant lettuce varieties, that they would not have been able to develop individually.”
The project will start August 2025 and run for the next four years. Partners include Utrecht University, The University of Amsterdam, and the companies BASF|Nunhems, Bejo, Enza Zaden, Limagrain, Rijk Zwaan, Syngenta, and Takii.
