On September 18, the executive director of InnovPlantProtect (InPP), António Saraiva, the director of the New Biopesticides Department, Cristina Azevedo, and researcher Luís Grilo attended the Open Day “The Cereals of Baixo Mondego”, promoted by the Centro Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR Centro), at the Bico da Barca Experimental Unit in Montemor-o-Velho.
The event highlighted the latest innovations from the Coimbra Innovation Hub, from new technologies applied to maize and rice, to fertilization strategies, protection and the use of biostimulants on these key crops in the Baixo Mondego region.
Our team also monitored trials with biofungicides, including the product I21, developed with our collaborative laboratory to combat pyriculariosis in two rice varieties, which is being patented.
In an interview with Voice of the Countryside, Cristina Azevedo shared the work we have been doing in the area of biosolutions.
Maize continues to be the Portugal's most important arable crop, The sector has a significant impact on food safety and the national agri-food industry. Involving thousands of producers and generating tens of millions of euros a year, the sector is currently facing increasingly complex phytosanitary challenges.
Among already known pests and emerging diseases, there are risks ranging from cartridge caterpillar until Maize Rugose Dwarfism Virus (MRDV), The presence of this virus is increasing in Portugal. This virus, transmitted by the corn leafhopper, can seriously compromise production and is found in the climate change increasingly favorable conditions for its spread.
However, it's not just MRDV that's worrying. There are new threats that require vigilance, such as the coleopter Diabrotica virgifera or the MDMV virus (Maize Dwarf Mosaic Virus), already detected in neighboring countries, and also toxic weeds, such as the winter fig (Datura stramonium), which in addition to impacting productivity pose public health risks.
Faced with this reality, the answer is integrated and sustainable strategies, matching:
crop rotation and good agricultural practices;
careful use of insecticides to avoid resistance and environmental impacts;
resistant or tolerant varieties, where available;
research and technological innovation, including new digital tools for early detection.
As the InnovPlantProtect researcher points out, Nuno Faria, in the article entitled “The main emerging pests and diseases of the maize crop in Portugal”, available in the August edition of Voz do Campo magazine: “The phytosanitary panorama of maize in Portugal requires continuous vigilance, investment in research and the application of integrated and sustainable strategies capable of responding to an increasingly dynamic and unpredictable reality.”
To find out more about the main current risks and mitigation measures, read the full article published in the August issue of Voz do Campo magazine (pages 88-89), available on newsstands and online.
InnovPlantProtect (InPP) is pleased to announce the publication of an international patent application (PCT) for a strain of Bacillus velezensis with application as a plant biostimulant. This innovation represents a significant milestone in our research, with a direct impact on sustainable agriculture and crop resilience in the face of climate and environmental challenges.
A natural and effective solution
The biostimulant developed by our team has been carefully studied and tested on different vegetable crops, such as tomatoes and lettuce, and on cereals, such as rice. The results obtained demonstrate the potential of this technology:
Greater development in the early stages of crops, This promotes more vigorous and healthy starts.
Increased productivity, This is evidenced by greater fresh biomass in lettuce and greater fruit production in tomatoes.
Proven molecular responses, with analyses confirming the activation of genes associated with plant responses to different types of abiotic stress.
These results reinforce the effectiveness of the Bacillus velezensis as a natural biostimulation tool, capable of boosting crop performance and contributing to more sustainable agriculture.
From the lab to the field
This patent is another step in InPP's commitment to developing innovative, sustainable biotechnological solutions with industrial applicability. The aim is clear: to support farmers and companies in the sector in meeting the challenges of crop productivity, quality and resilience, in an era when agriculture needs sustainable, high-impact responses.
We are looking for strategic partnerships
We are currently looking for new partnerships with companies and entities in the agricultural sector to take this technology from the laboratory to the field. We believe that collaboration is the key to turning scientific innovation into practical solutions that benefit the entire agricultural value chain.
If you're interested in learning more about this technology or exploring opportunities for collaboration, talk to us. Together we can drive a more productive, resilient and sustainable agriculture.
Innovate together. Protect better.
Image credits: InnovPlantProtect - Inês Ferreira (Photos from left to right: Sandra Caeiro and Rui Figueiras, researchers from the Specific Crop Protection Department and Inês Mexia, researcher from the Formulations and Process Development Department.
Researchers have found evidence that Huanglongbing, also known as citrus greening, This is an immune-mediated disease, which can be mitigated with antioxidants and phytohormones such as gibberellin, lifting the veil on the mechanism that causes this disease. O article on this study was recently published in Nature Communications.
Huanglongbing disease, which affects citrus fruits and ornamental plants, is caused by the bacterium Candidatus liberibacter transmitted by the citrus psyllid, a biting-sucking insect vector that also causes considerable direct damage to plants. The African psyllid (Trioza erytreae), vector of the bacterium Candidatus liberibacter africanus, is listed as a quarantine pest in Europe and its presence in Portugal has been expanding. O citrus greening is considered the most serious disease for these plant species worldwide.
The team from the Citrus Research and Education Center at the University of Florida (USA) shows that the infection of orange trees (Citrus sinensis) by the bacterium Candidatus liberibacter asiaticus induces a chronic systemic immune response in the plant's phloem, mimicking chronic systemic inflammatory diseases in humans, which leads to the death of the cells that make up the phloem tissue.
The conclusion that this is an immune-mediated phytopathology “helps guide the battle against this infamous disease”, the authors state in the article. The researchers consider it likely that horticultural approaches that suppress the oxidative stress of infected plants could mitigate the damage, including the optimal use of plant growth hormones such as gibberellin and brassinosteroids, as well as treatments with antioxidants.
Members of the Elvas CoLAB team tell the camera what brought them to the raia and the “Queen of the Border”, and what led them to accept the challenge of building the InPP.
Because I believe in a more sustainable future
Joana Castro
January 24, 2022. 3rd anniversary of the signing of the public deed setting up the InnovPlantProtect - Association collaborative laboratory. What a journey! Congratulations to the entire team, associates, members of the governing bodies and partners who have contributed and are contributing today to the birth and growth of this young CoLAB.
Because it represented a huge challenge for my return to Portugal
Cristina Azevedo
Why our lives depend on plants
iLaria Marengo
Completing the multilingual, multicultural and multidiverse team of 39 people that make up InPP today was one of the great achievements of the last year. Find out what brought us to Elvas and why we decided to stake our professional and personal lives on the challenge that is InnovPlantProtect. Watch the video on our YouTube channel.
To put into practice the knowledge I've acquired over more than 12 years abroad in the service of my country's scientific development.
Cláudia Rato da Silva
“Building a new institution is always a challenge and a risk. These three years have shown just that: the need to take risks and accept the challenge of overcoming difficulty after difficulty,” recognizes Pedro Fevereiro, executive director of “CoLAB de Elvas”. “The pillar that sustains InnovPlantProtect is people. And it is to all the people who have accepted the challenge of coming to build that the (over)experience and growth of InPP is due. It will continue to grow. Thank you for that.”
For the chance to settle in the country I chose to live in and live in a beautiful city like Elvas
Márcio Almeida
To rid crops of pests using artificial intelligence
Manisha Sirsat
The chance to do what I love
Tiago Amaro
To apply the knowledge acquired in the biopharmaceutical industry to the discovery of biopesticides
“AI applied to a prediction and early detection system for Phytophthora cinnamomi in dehesa ecosystems/ dehesa” is the name of the winning project of the 2020 edition of the Promove Program, which brings together InnovPlantProtect (InPP), the National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV), the Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas de Extremadura (CICYTEX), a ACPA - Association of Alentejo Pig Breeders and the Aflosor - Agro-Forestry Association of the Ponte de Sor Region. Now you can find out more about this collaborative initiative, which has won a own page on the InPP website.
With three study areas, two in Portugal (the municipalities of Avis and Ourique) and one in Spain (Alcuescar), the overall aim is to apply monitoring and warning systems to large patches of forest, using digital robotic and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies on a large scale.
This project is funded under Promove - The Future of the Interior, a program of the la Caixa“ Foundation” launched in partnership with BPI and Foundation for Science and Technology, The aim is to support innovative initiatives in strategic areas for the development of Portugal's inland regions.
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