InnovPlantProtect (InPP) was present at the conference “Building value together”, organized by our associate FNOP - National Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producers' Organizations.
InPP's executive director, António Saraiva, moderated the panel “Sustainability that generates value: The role of ESG in the future of the sector”, which included interventions from Catarina Pinto Correia (VdA), Cristina Câmara (APED), Filipa Saldanha (Crédito Agrícola), Joana Oom de Sousa (Sovena) and Rui Veríssimo Baptista (Companhia das Lezírias).
The opening session was given by Domingos dos Santos, president of FNOP and a member of CoLAB's Board of Directors of our CoLAB.
The meeting brought together producer organizations, farmers, companies, experts and political decision-makers to discuss the current challenges and look to the future of the national fruit and vegetable sector.
With the participation of national and international experts, the conference was a privileged space for sharing experiences and strategic reflection, focusing on the organization of production and the role of public policies in promoting sustainable growth.
Congratulations to FNOP for the initiative and the ability to bring together a panel of excellent speakers, making this conference a relevant and topical milestone for the sector.
In viticulture, every little decision has an impact: on the soil, on the health of the plants and on the quality of the grapes that form the basis of the wine that reaches our table. The future of viticulture may depend on a single biosolution. Or a hundred. In VINNY, an ambitious European project of which InPP is a part, researchers from ten countries are looking for bioactives capable of curbing vine diseases - and, at the same time, reducing dependence on synthetic agrochemicals. What's at stake is not just science: it's the sustainability of this industry.
The aim of the VINNY project is simple but transformative: develop and implement effective, sustainable solutions and adaptable to the needs of winegrowers in various European countries, creating environmentally friendly biopesticides and biofertilizers, and advanced nano-encapsulation technologies, to reduce dependence on conventional chemicals and promote a healthier ecosystem and a better environment and a circular viticulture.
And at the heart of this mission is an essential cog in the wheel: the daily work of the researchers who search for answers invisible to the human eye - as is the case with Tiago Amaro, a researcher at InPP.
Image credits: VINNY Project
Searching for the Guardians of the Vine
The road to these new biosolutions begins in the field, with the vine. The initial work of Tiago Amaro, started in September 2024 and focuses on identifying and isolating microorganisms naturally present in the vines themselves, in samples received from partners in Portugal, Spain, Austria and Denmark.
From grapes, sticks or woody fragments, small microscopic worlds arrive in the laboratory that may contain the natural weapons needed to fighting three major threats to the vineyard, with a direct impact on farm profitability: - A gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) and blue mold (Penicillium expansum): Fungi that cause post-harvest diseases, In the case of wine grapes, this affects the quality of the wine and makes it completely impossible to sell table grapes. - The vine tumors: Caused by bacteria Allorhizobium vitis, This disease affects the plant in the field, causing leaf fall and reduced grape production.
Tiago Amaro, InnovPlantProtect researcher, identifying and isolating bacteria as part of the VINNY project. Image credits: InnovPlantProtect - Inês Ferreira
After isolating the microorganisms, Tiago dedicated himself to creating libraries of bacteria. What is a ‘Bacteria Library’? In the context of the investigation, a bacteria library is an organized and catalogued collection of bacteria isolated from different sources. It allows scientists to test each strain of bacteria against specific pathogens, constituting a vast catalog of potential biological ‘superheroes’ for plant protection.
This rigorous screening, which has already led to the analysis of more than 190 bacteria of this library is the first line of defense. The team selects the best candidates with the potential to be used as biological control agents against the diseases under study.
The Power of European Collaboration
What if the solution to protecting Portuguese vineyards is hidden in a Danish grape? Or in a bacterium isolated in Spain? One of the most exciting aspects of the project is its truly collaborative dimension, where researchers from ten countries are working in parallel, sharing answers, challenges and microorganisms in search of effective biosolutions for the whole of Europe.
“All the solutions found will be shared, all the solutions will be tested by all the partners and it will be possible to build a ‘library of solutions’ against the various vine diseases“ emphasizes researcher Tiago Amaro.
The sharing of bacteria and extracts from different ecosystems (Portugal, Spain, Denmark and Austria) is crucial. An effective bacterium in Denmark could be the key to protecting Portuguese vineyards, and vice versa. This exchange of biological solutions, one of the innovative pillars of the project, makes it possible to exploit the microbial biodiversity beyond national borders. InPP has the fundamental role of testing, in grapes, the solutions discovered by our team as well as by other national and European partners.
This diversity of tests is a bet on the future: microorganisms that don't prove effective against vine diseases could be the solution for pathologies in other crops.
Left photo: Tiago Amaro, InPP researcher, observing a grapevine leaf, the target crop of the VINNY project, Right photo: Potted grapevine plants in the InPP greenhouse, ready to test the solutions found by the various VINNY partners. Image credits: InnovPlantProtect - Inês Ferreira
The Real Test: From the Lab to the Field
After selection in the laboratory, the next step - the formulation of the most promising bacteria - will be carried out in Portugal and Spain, at the University of Minho and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia. But it is in the field-testing phase that the greatest challenge of plant protection science lies, because even brilliant results in the laboratory can fail in the field. Formulation is the process that turns a bacterium into a product - stable, applicable and compatible with the farmer's needs.
Tiago Amaro emphasizes necessary resilience:
Field Uncertainty: Often, promising solutions in the laboratory or greenhouse are not as effective when applied in the field, due to environmental variables (climate, soil, etc.).
The Time Factor: Diseases such as Allorhizobium vitis may take a long time to develop, or the infection may not be relevant in certain years, which makes it difficult to obtain robust conclusions.
The Agricultural Cycle: It is necessary to test the formulation in the field during three to five consecutive years, and recording all the variations observed. With only one harvest a year, this process requires patience and persistence.
In total, from the discovery of a promising bacterium to the creation of a formulated product, proven to be effective and ready for the market, it can take around 10 years - a real test of any scientist's resilience.
Customized solutions: the new requirement of modern agriculture
The final challenge is to ensure that the tests are relevant to the producer's reality. The current trend in the agricultural sector is the search for customized solutions, adapted to the specific conditions of the farms: “There has to be a solution for every field and every farmer”, says the researcher.
This personalized approach requires more science, more rigor and more local knowledge - exactly what VINNY seeks to build.
A Europe united by science and the vine
InPP is part of this consortium, made up of 19 partners from ten countries, The project is led by the University of Minho and funded by the Horizon Europe program.
Together, they seek to answer a question that could shape the future of European viticulture: Will it be possible to find effective biosolutions for all partner countries?
The answer is still being written - in laboratories, in experimental vineyards, in fields in different climates and geographies. And it's made up of small discoveries, many frustrations and a huge commitment to science.
Because protecting the vineyard of the future is not just a technical ambition. It is a cultural, economic and environmental commitment. And VINNY is helping to design that future - one microorganism at a time.
The final workshop highlighted three years of research dedicated to the early detection of pathogens in crops such as wheat and olive groves.
The project AlViGen has reached its final stretch, concluding three years of research focused on the genomic surveillance of agricultural diseases. The results now presented promise to strengthen the Alentejo agricultural sector's ability to respond to emerging phytosanitary threats.
On the day October 23rd, The final project workshop, The event brought together researchers, producers and technicians to share results and reflect on the future of genomic surveillance in Portuguese agriculture.
A pioneering genomic surveillance center
During AlViGen, the Alentejo's first genomic surveillance center, an infrastructure with capacity for early detection of diseases in strategic crops such as wheat and olive grove. This breakthrough marks a decisive step towards a more precise, sustainable and science-based agriculture.
Results and scientific contributions
Using innovative molecular tools, the project team succeeded:
Identify pathogenic fungi before visible symptoms appear on the plants;
Characterizing yellow rust strains, genetically linking them to others known at a global level;
Detecting resistance genes in wheat to the strains currently present in Portugal;
Developing diagnostic methods able to distinguish the different species of the fungus that causes gafa in olive groves.
During the workshop, the potential of the analysis of the airborne fungi community as a tool for early warning for multiple pathogens, allowing for more effective and preventive management of crop diseases.
From research to practical application
The event ended with a debate on how transform AlViGen results in a detection and warning service accessible to the agricultural sector. The initiative reflects the joint commitment between science, innovation and production, with a view to protecting national agriculture from the challenges of the future.
Partnerships and thanks
InnovPlantProtect would like to thank all the partners and funders of the project: University of Évora, John Innes Centre, INIAV, De Prado, CERSUL, Eugénio de Almeida Foundation, Torre das Figueiras Estate, Almojanda, Malheiro Estate, Directorate-General for Food and Veterinary (DGAV), la Caixa“ Foundation”, BPI Bank e Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT).
InnovPlantProtect (InPP) took part in the “III Colloquium on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides - What Future?”, which was held on May 24 at the Santarem Polytechnic Institute's Santarém Higher Agricultural School (ESAS).
The colloquium, organized by the Portuguese Horticultural Association, the National Horticultural Operational and Technological Centre (COTHN) and ESAS, aimed to provide policymakers with a current picture of the agricultural sector and the legislation, innovation, difficulties, opportunities and needs of crop protection.
The promoters organized the Colloquium at an opportune moment, following the European Commission's decision last February not to proceed with the revision of the Directive on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides, but in which the goals and ambition of the European Green Deal are maintained.
Portugal is the country in the European Union with the second highest rate of reduction in pesticide use and 10% of authorized plant protection products are biopesticides.
The round-table event brought together speakers from agricultural confederations, associations representing agricultural sub-sectors, universities, public and private laboratories, the Ministry of Agriculture, MPs and MEPs.
Pedro Fevereiro, executive director of InPP, was one of the speakers on the panel “Session II - What is the future?”, which took place between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. and included the deputy director of the Directorate-General for Food and Veterinary (DGAV), Paula Cruz Garcia, the president of CropLife Portugal, Felisbela Campos, Cristina Carlos from the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Social Democratic Party MP Emília Cerqueira, chair of the Assembly of the Republic's Agriculture and Fisheries Committee, and João Frazão, a member of the Portuguese Communist Party's political committee. The moderator was João Baptista, a journalist from the newspaper Mais Ribatejo.
Last Wednesday morning, May 15, another Farmers“ Day was held at the Innovation Hub in Elvas, under the motto ”Challenges and opportunities for the sustainable intensification of agriculture", which was attended by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, José Manuel Fernandes.
InnovPlantProtect (InPP) was present at this event, promoted by the National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research (INIAV, IP), a founding member of InPP, which aimed to promote the dynamics of innovation that result in the valorization of national production and also in people settling in the territories.
The initiative kicked off with a speech by the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, who highlighted the importance of the agricultural sector, stressing that “Agriculture is much more than numbers and GDP. It's territorial cohesion, it's landscape, it's culture, it's gastronomy, it's tourism”, and he also listed as priority areas for action the improvement of farmers' incomes, the attraction of younger people and the link with academia and research, which must be based on a perspective of territorial cohesion.
This was followed by a round table on “Territory, Capacity Building, Research and Innovation”, moderated by José Palha, representing the CerealTech Competence Center, and with the participation of Nuno Canada, President of INIAV, Paulo Fernandes, Mayor of Fundão, Bernardo Albino, Vice-President of the National Association of Protein, Oilseed and Cereal Producers (ANPOC) and João Madeira, from the Extensive Grazing Competence Center.
The round table concluded with the presentation of the Cereais do Alentejo range of products, a registered trademark of ANPOC which, like the Fundão Cherry, aims to enhance national cereal production; and with the launch of the technical guide “Cereais Praganosos - A Produtividade e a Qualidade Constroem-se”, a manual that results from the compilation of the most relevant knowledge transmitted over the years in the Technical Training for Autumn/Winter Cereal Production, jointly promoted by ANPOC, INIAV and the Polytechnic Institute of Beja since 2016.
Congratulations to INIAV for the initiative!
Farmers' Day is an annual initiative that brings together hundreds of farmers and companies in the sector.
Today, May 16, is National Scientists' Day in Portugal and InnovPlantProtect (InPP) has issued a challenge to its scientists - to record their day-to-day lives in the Collaborative Lab. InPP promoted a photo competition open to its entire community who submitted photos showing a little of what their day-to-day life as scientists is like.
The team then chose the three best photos through an internal voting process and today opened the voting to the online community on the institutional social networks so that they can choose who the big winner is.
To choose your favorite photo, all you have to do is vote in the poll that we will be launching on the social networks LinkedIn and Facebook from 2pm, and which will be available until the end of today.
Congratulations to researchers Maria Miguel, Francisca Rodrigues and Francesca Messina, authors of the photos below. Thanks to all the participants for the fantastic photos submitted!
We wish a Happy National Scientist Day to all our scientists and researchers who dedicate their lives to curiosity, to trying to understand how the world works, and who are increasingly concerned about sharing this knowledge with others. Together we all contribute to building the future!
National Scientists' Day was established in 2016 and aims to recognize the contribution of the scientific community to the advancement of knowledge, progress and the well-being of society.
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