News & Events

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NEWS

In the March issue of Fruits, vegetables and flowers you will find the opinion article entitled “The role of InnovPlantProtect in Organic Farming: Paths to sustainable and efficient solutions”, in which the executive director of InnovPlantProtect (InPP), António Saraiva, reveals how our CoLAB is contributing to the success of organic farming.

“By boosting research, collaboration and knowledge sharing, InPP is helping to solve the central challenges of this practice [organic farming], allowing it to expand and enhancing the supply of agricultural products to consumers. The solutions developed by InPP make organic farming a more viable option for producers,” says the executive director.

Read the full article and find out how we are shaping the future of agriculture.

We thank Frutas, legumes e flores magazine for its recognition and reiterate our commitment to the agriculture of the future.

Imagine a future where drones and artificial intelligence work together to protect your vineyards. That's what the AI4Leafhopper project is making a reality!

Manisha Sirsat, a researcher on the AI4Leafhopper team, has developed two artificial intelligence models that analyze the aerial images captured by our latest generation drone... and these models make it possible:

  • geolocation of each vine
  • to know if there are vine failures
  • quickly identify “sick” vines”
  • optimize the application of treatments

The result? Growers can have a detailed view of the health of their vineyards, detect problems early and make more informed decisions.

Find out all about it here.

AI4Leafhopper is a project led by InPP and funded by the ICAERUS Horizon Europe program, which began in April 2024 and ended on April 30 with a final meeting involving the six European projects approved in the 1st edition of the ICAERUS program's PULL applications. The project team presented the AI-based models for detecting and monitoring the impact of the green leafhopper on vineyards.

The AI4Leafhopper project, InnovPlantProtect used a state-of-the-art drone to monitor the impact of the green leafhopper in the vineyards of our partners Reynolds Wine Growers and João Portugal Ramos. Although the results show that this advanced technology is more effective at detecting attacks at advanced stages, we are excited about the potential of this tool to provide valuable data for the management of this harmful insect.

We believe that with more research, we can refine our solution to detect early attacks and prevent significant damage to vineyards. Transforming the monitoring of this pest is where we want to go, always with the aim of protecting vineyards and guaranteeing the quality of production for winegrowers.

Over the next few days we'll be revealing everything that the AI4Leafhopper project is making a reality and how drones and artificial intelligence are working together to create a more sustainable future for viticulture. Stay tuned!

Find out all about it here.

AI4Leafhopper, funded by the ICAERUS Horizon Europe program, which began in April 2024, is now in its final stages. The development phase of the project, which took place in the field, is now over and the final stage is to present the solutions developed by our team on Portuguese soil to the market.

EVENTS

The project's documentary Vertical Algae, led by Necton, and of which InPP is a part, is already being broadcast on television.

The documentary series Algae Vertical includes 10 episodes, which show the 7 sub-projects of Algae Vertical and are already being broadcast on the TECH 3 program on RTP3. The episodes will be broadcast every Saturday at 18:50, with a repeat on Sundays at 15:50.

For 10 weeks, the fascinating world of algae will enter Portuguese homes, giving people the opportunity to learn about the various ways of using algae and its important role in sustainability.

All the programs will also be available on RTP Play and on Algae Vertical's YouTube channel.

(Re)watch the first episode here and don't miss a new episode every week!

Vertical Algae is co-financed by Next Generation EU, through the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), and is the largest initiative of the Blue Bioeconomy Agenda Pact.

Note: RTP3 programming may change without prior notice.

On January 11, InnovPlantProtect (InPP) received a visit from António Campos and Nuno Vinhais, from the Executive Board of Insectera Mobilizing Agenda.

The purpose of the visit was to get to know the facilities and technological equipment of the collaborative laboratory (CoLAB), share information and exchange ideas on how the work of the InsectERA Agenda is progressing.

InPP's executive director, Pedro Fevereiro, and the department directors, Sandra Correia and David Learmonth, welcomed the committee, presented the CoLAB and gave an update on the implementation of the Agenda.

Special thanks to António Campos and Nuno Vinhais for their visit!

InPP leads the InFrass axis, one of the 9 axes of the Agenda, led by ThenGreen, The consortium is made up of 42 national entities and a total investment of 43 million euros. The consortium aims to promote the circular economy and leverage the development of innovative insect-based technological solutions for the market.

Learn more about the InsectERA agenda and the InFrass axis HERE.

©️ Inês Ferreira - InnovPlantProtect

Students from the Living Science Club of the LabVivo - Ciências com Arte School, located in Montemor-o-Novo, went to InnovPlantProtect (InPP) on January 10 to explore the world of biotechnology and plants.

The young people visited the laboratories and the recently refurbished greenhouse and had the opportunity to make contact with science and gain a better understanding of day-to-day research and innovation in the areas of agriculture and plant biotechnology.

Interacting with some of our researchers to find out about their background and what led them into these fascinating areas was one of the highlights of the visit.

It was an excellent opportunity to clear up doubts and curiosities among the youngsters.

InPP hopes that the visit served to motivate and inspire the students to pursue a career in science and innovation in crop protection.

It was a pleasure to welcome you!

©️ Inês Ferreira - InnovPlantProtect