InPP took part in the kick-off meeting for the European PROSPER project, held on October 2 and 3 in Pavia, Italy. In attendance were the director of the Monitoring and Diagnostics Department, Ilaria Marengo, and the project manager, Bruno Orrico.
PROSPER's main objective is to transform European agriculture by valorizing highly resilient “orphan” legumes - forgotten crops, but full of potential to face the climate and food challenges of the future.
The project promotes sustainable, innovative practices adapted to different agricultural realities.
Over the two days, 27 partners from 13 countries met for presentations, in-depth discussions and strategic talks about the project's next steps.
We are excited about what comes next, certain that this journey will be more than a collaboration - it will be a true cooperation within an exceptional team.
Join us and keep up to date with all the news from the PROSPER Project!
InnovPlantProtect (InPP) was present at the project launch meeting BioLivingLABS - Bioeconomia ao Serviço da Sustentabilidade dos Territórios do Interior (Bioeconomy at the Service of the Sustainability of Inland Territories), which took place on October 1st at the School of Agriculture of the Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco (IPCB).
Funded by COMPETE 2023, the BioLivingLABS project, led by MORE CoLAB - Laboratório Colaborativo Montanhas de Investigação, in partnership with the InPP, the IPCB, from AQUAVALOR and the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (IPB).
This project's mission is to add value to the low-density territories in the north, center and south of the country by demonstrating and economically boosting the work carried out by the partners - through the creation, demonstration and application of products, processes and services resulting from joint research.
Four living laboratories will be created (Living Labs) in the innovation hubs of Mirandela, Douro, Covilhã and Elvas, which they intend to promote:
the transfer of knowledge;
technology demonstration;
strategic roadmapping and
the protection of intellectual property.
BioLivingLABS strengthens the link between academia, business and society, driving innovation and sustainability.
Expected impact: Over the course of 24 months, and with Living Labs dedicated to sectors such as olive groves and olive oil, vineyards and wine, fruit and cereals, legumes, among others, the project will contribute to:
increase regional competitiveness;
promote sustainable practices and
responding to the environmental, social and economic challenges facing inland territories.
On September 25, InnovPlantProtect (InPP) was present at the National Exhibition of Blue Bioeconomy Pact Projects, held at the Port of Leixões Cruise Terminal, for the exhibition session of the Algae Vertical project, led by PhytoBloom by Necton.
InPP, leader of sub-project 6 - Agriculture, was represented by department director Cristina Azevedo and executive director António Saraiva, who presented some of the new algae-based biosolutions that our team and partners are developing.
There were more than 300 participants and 80 entities, including companies, research centers and political decision-makers. The Opening Conference was attended by the Chairman of Inovamar's General and Supervisory Board, José Soares dos Santos, and round tables were held on the future of the blue economy in Portugal.
Algae Vertical explores the biotechnological potential of algae in sectors as diverse as food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and energy.
Find out more about the Algae Vertical Project here.
O InnovPlantProtect (InPP) estará presente na terceira edição do Encontro Anual de Laboratórios Colaborativos (CoLAB), organizada pela National Innovation Agency (ANI), cujo objetivo é promover e monitorizar as atividades e a evolução progressiva dos 41 CoLABs atualmente reconhecidos, assim como o seu desenvolvimento no contexto de estratégias de investigação e inovação regionais, nacionais e europeias, e que vai decorrer na Universidade do Algarve, no Campus da Penha, entre os dias 6 e 7 de dezembro.
O 3.º Encontro Anual de Laboratórios Colaborativos pretende debater a evolução das atividades dos CoLAB e a sua integração na dinâmica dos ecossistemas regionais, durante a transição para um novo ciclo de financiamento de base, no âmbito da Missão Interface e do Plano Nacional de Recuperação e Resiliência (PRR). Este evento contará com a apresentação dos principais resultados obtidos durante 2022 e os highlights da rede nacional de CoLAB.
O evento contará com a presença de Joana Mendonça, Presidente da ANI, Madalena Alves, Presidente da Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), João Mendes Borga, Membro da Direção da ANI, e Paulo Águas, reitor da Universidade do Algarve. Nesta edição participaram ainda empresas, decisores políticos e peritos nacionais e internacionais.
Neste evento serão debatidos diversos temas de grande impacto como os desafios da população cada vez mais envelhecida, a transformação digital, a crise energética, a economia circular com novos modelos de negócio para um futuro sustentável, as perspetivas portuguesas dos CoLAB e a plataforma da Missão de Interface, entre outros.
Todas as sessões vão decorrer exclusivamente em inglês e serão transmitidas em direto, através do canal de Youtube da ANI here.
A ANI é a entidade que acompanha a implementação da agenda de investigação e inovação de todos os CoLAB. O processo de reconhecimento dos Laboratórios Colaborativos é assegurado pela FCT.
Gafa, or anthracnose, is a disease of the olive grove caused by several species of fungus of the genus Colletotrichum, such as Colletotrichum accutatum, C. nymphaeae or C. godetiae [1,2]. Symptoms typically appear on ripening olives and include: brownish/black spots with depression, dehydration and early fall. In extreme cases, defoliation and branch death can occur [3]. The presence of diseased olives also has a negative influence on olive oil quality, increasing acidity and lowering the oil's oxidative stability [4].
Olive with gafa/anthracnose. Source: Olive Times
Gafa is considered the main disease in olive groves in Portugal and is one of the diseases that will be monitored in the AlViGen project. In order to be able to monitor the strains of Colletotrichum present in the olive grove and derive useful information from this monitoring, we need to have an association between the genome and the phenotype of these strains. That way, when we apply genomic surveillance to Colletotrichum If we identify a particular genotype, we can also identify its phenotypic characteristics. For example, its virulence or pattern of resistance to fungicides.
In order to have this association between genetics and the phenotype of the Colletotrichum, We are working with Rosário Félix's group, a professor at the University of Évora, on the isolation and characterization of strains of Colletotrichum isolated throughout the country. As such, we are asking for the community's help in sending us olive samples so that we can characterize the Colletotrichum present in your olive grove!
The process is very simple:
1. Put 10 olives in a bag (of a single variety) at the time of the color change (with or without symptoms).
2. Fill in the questionnaire to characterize the sample, using your cell phone (see below).
3. Write the sample code on the bag (code generated when filling in the form)
4. Put the bag in a box or padded envelope and send it to: Maria do Rosário Félix Plant Virology Laboratory, room 108, Santos Júnior Building Mitra Center, University of Évora 7000-083 Évora
Cell phone data collection form
So that we can collect data about the sampling site and the type of farm, we ask those who send us samples to also fill in a questionnaire via cell phone.
Once the application is installed, you can access the form with the QR code below using two methods: click on “Configure with QR code” and use the camera to add the QR code below. Alternatively, download the QR code and after clicking on “Configure with QR code”, click on the three dots (top right) and click on “Import QR Code”. From here you will have uploaded the QR code and simply click on “Blank Form” to start adding your sample data.
References
1. Materatski, P., Varanda, C., Carvalho, T., Dias, A. B., Campos, M. D., Rei, F., & Félix, M. D. R. (2018). Diversity of Colletotrichum species associated with olive anthracnose and new perspectives on controlling the disease in Portugal. Agronomy, 8(12), 301.
2. Talhinhas, P., Mota-Capitão, C., Martins, S., Ramos, A. P., Neves-Martins, J., Guerra-Guimarães, L., ... & Oliveira, H. (2011). Epidemiology, histopathology and aetiology of olive anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum acutatum and C. gloeosporioides in Portugal. Plant Pathology, 60(3), 483-495.
3. Talhinhas, P., Sreenivasaprasad, S., Neves-Martins, J., & Oliveira, H. (2005). Molecular and phenotypic analyses reveal association of diverse Colletotrichum acutatum groups and a low level of C. gloeosporioides with olive anthracnose. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 71(6), 2987-2998.
4. Carvalho, M. T., Simões-Lopes, P., & Monteiro da Silva, M. J. (2008). Influence of different olive infection rates of Colletotrichum acutatum on some important olive oil chemical parameters. In V International Symposium on Olive Growing 791 (pp. 555-558).
Nos dias 16 e 17 de novembro, o InnovPlantProtect (InPP) participou no Seminário de Lançamento do Programa de Cooperação Transfronteiriça Interreg Espanha-Portugal – POCTEP 2021-2027, que decorreu entre os dias 16 e 17 de novembro, no Centro de Exposições e Congressos na cidade Ayamonte, em Espanha.
Pedro February, diretor executivo do InPP, iLaria Marengo, Diretora de Departamento, Manisha Sirsat, investigadora do InPP, e Bruno Orrico, gestor de projeto, marcaram presença no seminário do POCTEP2127, o maior programa transfronteiriço da União Europeia (UE) aprovado pela Comissão Europeia, que pretendeu dar a conhecer todas as novidades deste novo ciclo de financiamento (com um orçamento de mais de 320 milhões de euros) e destacar a importância dos projetos transfronteiriços para alcançar territórios mais globais, tecnológicos, inclusivos e sustentáveis.
Com um programa diversificado, que contou com a participação da Secretária de Estado do Desenvolvimento Regional, Isabel Ferreira, e do Diretor da Unidade de Política Regional, Rui Inácio, e com espaços para networking, a iniciativa foi uma excelente ocasião para a troca de experiências e esclarecimento de dúvidas.
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