On July 11, 2025, I, Iryna Havryliuk, a participant in the international ECOTWINS project, successfully defended my PhD dissertation in the specialty 201 "Agronomy". My scientific work, titled "Evaluation and Development of Initial Winter Bread Wheat Material with Enhanced Productivity and Adaptability", addresses one of the key challenges of modern plant breeding — the creation of highly productive, adaptive wheat breeding material capable of ensuring stable yields under climate change conditions.

Part of the research was carried out within the framework of the ECOTWINS project. Thanks to my participation, I had the unique opportunity to:

• attend summer schools to enhance my scientific research skills;
• improve my proficiency in preparing scientific publications in English;
• present my research findings at the Euro Agriculture and Food Safety Summit (EUROAGRI2024).

The dissertation presents a comprehensive assessment of the adaptive traits and productivity of winter bread wheat varieties and their wild relatives, particularly species of the genus Aegilops. The results support the use of genetic diversity to develop a new generation of breeding material characterized by higher yield potential, improved disease resistance, enhanced adaptability to environmental stressors, and suitability for cultivation in intercropping systems. This is especially relevant in light of current climate challenges, changes in crop structure in Ukraine, and growing demands for grain quality.

I express my sincere gratitude to the international ECOTWINS project for the opportunity to become part of a community of researchers united by a common goal — seeking sustainable solutions for agriculture under changing climate conditions.

Special thanks go to the project coordinator - Oksana Tonkha - for her professional support, inspiration, and unwavering belief in young researchers.