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 second edition of the Summer Course in Plant Biotechnology, promoted by the Biotechnology Information Center (CiB), which took place between July 10 and 13 in the city of Coimbra, with the motto of innovation for sustainability.
InPP was represented by the executive director of Innovplantprotect, Pedro Fevereiro, and the director of the Specific Crop Protection department, Sandra Correia, who spoke at the theoretical session entitled “Cell culture for the production of metabolites”, which took place on the morning of July 11, and on July 12, the penultimate day of the event, the executive director spoke on the topic of “The green biotechnology sector in Portugal”.
The aim of this Summer Course, which also has the support of the Center for Functional Ecology (CEF) of the Department of Life Sciences of the University of Coimbra (UC), is to disseminate the different areas of plant biotechnology and the impact that biotechnological tools can have on mitigating the effects of climate change, as well as on food production, with a view to ensuring food security.
The National Monitoring Committee (CNA) of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) visited Alto Alentejo on July 4 to take stock of the implementation of the projects financed by the PRR in the region and to hear from the various final beneficiaries about their concerns, difficulties and suggestions.
The meeting at InnovPlantProtect (InPP), followed by a guided tour of the facilities, was aimed at monitoring the Interface Mission project, financed by the PRR, to guarantee basic public funding for the collaborative laboratory (CoLAB), as well as the projects “+Valorcer - Valorizamos a organização da produção de cereais” and “SNM_XylellaVt - Sistema Nacional de Monitorização de Insetos Vetores da Xylella fastidiosa“, led by InPP, and the Blue Bioeconomy Pact and InsectERA projects, in which CoLAB is a partner.
As well as this, it was also possible to present to the President of the CNA, Pedro Dominguinhos, the scientific research and innovation developed by the five departments over the four years of CoLAB's existence, to align strategies for future applications to the PRR, as well as to highlight the added value that the InPP is bringing in terms of establishing jobs in the region.
The delegation also had the chance to talk to some of our researchers about their careers, their academic and scientific career at various national and foreign universities, and to find out what led them to move to the city of Elvas.
In addition to this project, other applications that have already been submitted to the PRR, which are relevant to the region and are still awaiting approval, were also discussed, as well as the intention to submit others that are currently being drawn up.
InPP's executive director, Pedro Fevereiro, as well as the department directors, Cristina Azevedo, Sandra Correia, Ricardo Ramiro, iLaria Marengo and David Learmonth, welcomed the delegation.
On the 5th, InnovPlantProtect (InPP) was present at Ciência 2023 - Meeting with Science and Technology in Portugal, which included the participation of Pedro Fevereiro, executive director of InPP, in the session “Innovation, sustainability and food safety: what is the positioning and roadmap of CoLABs in the Agro sector?”, which took place for the first time in the city of Aveiro.
The session brought together the collaborative laboratories (CoLABs) in the area of Agriculture - the InPP, the FeedInov CoLab, o Food4Sustainability, o SmartFarmCoLAB and CoLAB VINES&WINES -to discuss together the technological and strategic paths that the CoLABs have defined to respond to the needs and demands of the agricultural sector.
The session was structured with an international keynote speaker, followed by a round table moderated by a journalist, with the presence of the 5 CoLabs and the discussion open to the public. The expected results were the identification of innovations in progress and the understanding and possible adjustment of the strategic lines developed and to be developed, as well as greater efficiency in the interaction between the Colabs in the area of Agriculture.
The initiative, which brought together experts and researchers from different scientific fields, was attended by the Prime Minister, António Costa, and by the Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, Elvira Fortunato, the Minister for the Environment and Climate Action, Duarte Cordeiro, the Minister for the Economy and the Sea, António Costa Silva, and the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Maria do Céu Antunes. The meeting was closed by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
The 2023 edition of Encontro Ciência took place between July 5 and 7 in Aveiro, at the Santiago da Prata University Campus. University of Aveiro, The event was dedicated to the theme “Science and the Ocean Beyond the Horizon” and focused on the ocean and water.
Encontro Ciência is the largest annual science and technology event in Portugal, promoted by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in collaboration with the National Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture - Agencia Nacional de Cultura Científica e Tecnológica - Ciência Viva and, this year, also with the University of Aveiro. The initiative also has the institutional support of the Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education and the Parliamentary Committee for Education, Science, Youth and Sport.
National R&D institutions, namely FCT R&D units, CoLABs, Associated Laboratories and State Laboratories, take an active part in the scientific program of Encontro Ciência every year, through their participation in the many parallel thematic sessions, demonstrations of R&D activities and posters by PhD students.
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