Wang, J., J. L. Araus, J. Wan. 2015. Breeding to optimize agriculture in a changing world. Crop J. 3:169-173.
Abstract: Breeding to Optimize Chinese Agriculture (OPTICHINA) was a three-year EU–China project launched in June of 2011. As designed, the project acted as a new strategic model to reinforce systematic cooperation on agricultural research between Europe and China. The OPTICHINA International Conference “Breeding to Optimize Agriculture in a ChangingWorld” was held in Beijing, May 26–29, 2014. The conference included six thematic areas: (1) defining and protecting the yield potential of traits and genes; (2) high-throughput precision phenotyping in the field; (3) molecular technologies in modern breeding; (4) plant ideotype; (5) data analysis, data management, and bioinformatics; and (6) national challenges and opportunities for China. The 10 articles collected in this special issue represent key contributions and topics of this conference. This editorial provides a brief introduction to the OPTICHINA project, followed by themain scientific points of articles published in this special issue. Finally, outcomes froma brainstorming discussion at the end of the conference are summarized, representing the authors' opinions on trends in breeding for a changing world.