"THE OUTCOME OF HERMANA PROPOSAL WILL BE A DIAGNOSTIC TOOLSET THAT WILL ALLOW TO KNOW IN SPACE AND TIME DEMANDS FOR WATER AND NITROGEN FERTILIZATION OF THE CROP, SO YOU CAN BETTER ADJUST WATER AND NUTRIENT INPUT TO THE CROP�S SPATIALLY AND TEMPORALLY VARYING REQUIREMENTS. THIS IS EXPECTED TO HELP OPTIMIZE YIELD THROUGH INCREASED WATER AND NUTRIENT USE EFFICIENCIES.

"IT IS OF STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE FOR MEDITERRANEAN AGRICULTURE TO DEVELOP NEW VARIETIES OF DURUM WHEAT WITH GREATER PRODUCTION POTENTIAL, TOGETHER WITH A BETTER ADAPTATION TO ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND BETTER QUALITY OF GRAIN. WHILE THAT HARD WHEAT IT HAS BENEFITED AS OTHER CEREALS OF THE GREEN REVOLUTION, GENETIC PROGRESS IN RECENT DECADES HAS BEEN LESS EVIDENT, PARTLY MASKED BY CLIMATE CHANGE, AND THE UNDERLYING MECHANISMS ARE NOT WELL KNOWN.