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.
“We're here to listen to the sector's problems and find solutions together”. This was said by António Saraiva, executive director of InnovPlantProtect (InPP), who attended the eighth edition of the National Olive Oil Congress, held in Campo Maior and featured in the July edition of Voz do Campo magazine.
In the interview, António Saraiva highlighted the importance of olive growing, one of the most representative crops in the Mediterranean, and pointed out some of the major challenges currently facing the sector:
A growing shortage of phytosanitary solutions: many tools are disappearing and effective alternatives are not always emerging.
The long road between research and application in the field: the process of bringing a scientific solution to farmers can take around 10 years.
Impacts of climate change and emerging pests, which make farming even more difficult.
Faced with these challenges, InPP is committed to developing new innovative solutions that are environmentally friendly and sustainable for farmers. CoLAB is looking for agents such as active substances and microorganisms capable of controlling diseases and boosting biostimulants, as well as investing in digital technologies that allow producers to detect crop problems early and increase the effectiveness of interventions.
Another point highlighted by the executive director is the need to speed up the transfer of knowledge to the field, through partnerships and commercial agreements that ensure that innovations actually reach farmers.
“We're here to listen to the sector's problems and find solutions together. We want to be close to farmers, associations and companies, because that's the only way we can develop effective and sustainable tools,” António Saraiva stressed.
The full interview is available in the July issue of Voz do Campo magazine, on newsstands now, and in the image below.
It's called PROSPER and it's a new European project that aims to transform European agriculture through the valorization of “orphan” legumes - resistant crops, little exploited, but with great potential to face the challenges of climate and food in the future.
The consortium, with total funding of around 5 million euros, brings together 27 partners from 13 European countries and Tunisia, including universities, research centers, companies and non-profit organizations in the agricultural sector. Among them are countries from the Mediterranean (Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal and France), Central Europe (Germany, Belgium, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania), Northern Europe (Denmark, Sweden and Finland).
The aim of PROSPER is to test and validate new agricultural diversification strategies, adapted to different climates and social and economic contexts, promoting more sustainable, innovative practices that are adjusted to the needs of different agricultural realities.
InPP, PROSPER's partner, will be responsible for analyzing:
Soil health and environmental impact
Energy efficiency and waste management
Nutritional quality of crops
Fair valuation along the production chain
To do this, the InPP team will use advanced technologies, such as real-time sensors and geospatial analysis, which will help study soil health, carbon sequestration captured by crops, water management and biodiversity, among others.
PROSPER is co-created with the main players in the agricultural sector, ensuring that the solutions developed do not remain on paper: they will be practical, useful and transformative.
The project starts in September 2025. We are ready to embark on this journey towards a greener, fairer and more resilient agriculture.
The InnovPlantProtect team looking for a solution to pyriculariosis was at the Open Day for Rice Growing in Baixo Mondego. The infected rice samples taken afterwards are already being analyzed in the laboratory.
Cristina Azevedo, Tiago Amaro e Pedro Rosa are researchers at InnovPlantProtect (InPP) and are working on the development of biopesticides against rice pyriculariosis, one of the most common diseases of this cereal worldwide and also in Portugal. As a result of the be present at the Open Day of Rice Culture in Baixo Mondego, organized by the DRAP Centro, On September 14, they subsequently made two field trips to collect samples of infected rice.
The team carried out the harvests in the Mondego area in Montemor-o-Velho, with the support of António Jordão, from DRAP Centro, and in the Tejo area in Salvaterra de Magos, with the support of Lourenço Palha, from the COTArroz, after a contact initiated by the INIAV Ana Sofia Almeida. The aim of these collections is to isolate and genetically characterize the isolates (cultures of microorganisms) of Magnaporthe oryzae, the fungus that causes the disease, present in Portugal today.
The Open Day showcased “the excellent work carried out by the INIAV team in the national rice improvement program and by Lusosem in various field trials,” says Cristina Azevedo, director of the InPP's New Biopesticides Department.
Rice Culture Open Day in Baixo Mondego
In the laboratory, the researchers are now trying to isolate the fungi from rice samples collected in the field; the next step will be to characterize them from a genetic and infectivity point of view - the ability of a pathogen to invade an organism and cause an infection - in order to know the current genetic diversity of the fungi. Magnaporthe oryzae in Portugal.
In 2021, there will be a higher incidence of rice pyriculariosis in Portugal, especially in Baixo Mondego, due to fewer hours of sunlight (more days with less open skies), among other climatic conditions, explains António Jordão, from DRAP Centro.
The European Rice Meeting will be held on September 7, starting at 10 a.m., in the Auditorium of the Companhia das Lezírias fairground Agroglobal 2021. The director of InnovPlantProtect will speak at 12 noon about the contribution of the Elvas CoLAB to the control of pyriculariosis.
Under the motto “A more sustainable European rice sector”, the ANIA - The National Association of Rice Producers and Casa do Arroz - Interprofessional Rice Association are organizing a meeting of the rice sector next Tuesday, September 7, at the National Association of Rice Producers. Agroglobal 2021. At 12 noon, Pedro Fevereiro, executive director of InnovPlantProtect, will talk about the contribution of the Elvas CoLAB to the control of pyriculariosis, one of the diseases that most affects this cereal.
The agricultural fair, where InnovPlantProtect will be present with its own stand and program, runs until the 9th in Valada do Ribatejo (Cartaxo, Santarém).
The European Rice Meeting begins at 10 a.m. in the Auditorium of Companhia das Lezírias, with the presentation of the project to promote European rice “Sustainable European Rice - Don't Think Twice”. At 11am, the INIAV and COTARROZThe National Program for the Genetic Improvement of Rice will be highlighted. Trace-rice - European Innovation Project for the Traceability and Valorization of Rice will be presented at 11:30.
The event ends at 12.30pm with a rice tasting.
Feature image: Donald Groth, Louisiana State University AgCenter, Bugwood.org
The collaborative laboratory (CoLAB) InnovPlantProtect (InPP) is present in Agroglobal 2021, The CoLAB will also have its own stand and a series of activities and initiatives aimed at publicizing CoLAB and the bio-based services and products it already offers and can offer to different sectors for protecting crops against pests and diseases (see details below).
A Agroglobal 2021 takes place on September 7, 8 and 9, from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., in Valada do Ribatejo (Cartaxo, Santarém). It is considered the major trade fair for the agricultural sector, particularly in terms of Innovation & Development. InPP is at Stand 119:
A InPP programming has:
Demos and presentations short and interactive presentations by each department of the InPP, with time for dialog with visitors
InPP ComVida... – flash happenings with invited partners and associates (see below)
Flavors of Elvas in Valada: raffle of Elvas plums among the visitors (with the support of elvense Artisanal Fruit)
among other surprises...
InPP PROGRAM (currently being updated):
HIGHLIGHTING 7/9, TUESDAY:
12pm: InPP participation in the European Rice Meeting, in the Auditorium of Companhia das Lezírias, with the speech by CEO Pedro Fevereiro “The contribution of CoLAB InnovPlantProtect to the control of pyriculariosis”
Xylella fastidiosaMeet XfSTOP - a combat strategy being developed by the InPP.
Chestnut trees, education and the Internet of Things: why are we putting sensors in trees?
Combating cork oak decline: find out what our AI-based remote detection and early warning can do for your production
Geolocated pests and diseases, for optimal/unparalleled online management, planning and visualization, right after sampling
HIGHLIGHTING 8/9, WEDNESDAY:
10am: Are diseases causing damage? We identify the pathogen and suggested ways of biological control. Do you want a product developed just for you? We do that too!
Xylella fastidiousMeet XfSTOP - a combat strategy being developed by the InPP.
Chestnut trees, education and the Internet of Things: why are we putting sensors in trees?
Cicadas in the vineyard: what can we offer to remote sensing, monitoring and diagnostics in the field pests and diseases
Risk models: climate at the service of agriculture: “The clouds that hang in the air / Drawn by the wind / Fetch water from the sea / To water in any weather” * Pathogens have long since learned the same tune and quickly respond to the weather. We develop and validate models and computer applications for predicting the risk of different diseases based on climate data
O microbiomethe importance ofunraveling the secrets of the microbial ecosystem that inhabits soils and plants
From 14:30: InPP ComVida... CEPAAL: olive oil tasting - because only healthy olives produce quality oil without defects
At 17:30,InPP ComVida... CEPAAL: signing ceremony of a partnership protocol between InPP and the Center for the Study and Promotion of Alentejo Olive Oil
From 10am: InPP ComVida... GREEN-IT: phenotyping and plant health/ cut protection + demonstration of phenotyping equipment in the field
Want to know a biological control agent?
11:30 a.m: Presentation of the ‘DIMAP: A digital ecosystem for integrated disease management in pear orchards‘ (SmartAgriHubs), which aims to add a consortium to evaluate the integration of methodologies for Rocha pear disease detection
We develop genomic prediction based on machine learning, which can accelerate the achievement of more resistant varieties diseases or with higher yield
I knew that biopesticides innovative and sustainable are only effective thanks to specifically designed formulations? InPP has an entire department dedicated to this discipline - see what we can offer you
Experience it live and in color: smart hydrogels based on natural polymers to facilitate the application/effectiveness of biological control agents
12pm:InPP ComVida... AHSA - Association of Horticulturists, Fruit Growers and Flower Growers of the Counties of Odemira and Aljezur (subject to confirmation)
3pm: InPP ComVida...Ambitrevo(subject to confirmation)
InnovPlantProtect (InPP) is a collaborative laboratory (CoLAB) dedicated to developing bio-based products and services for protecting crops against pests and diseases.
We are a private non-profit association with 12 founding members, This includes companies, universities, a municipality, an R&D center, a national research institute and producer associations.
Headquartered at INIAV's Elvas Campus and 150 m2 laboratories, we have a team with 38 highly qualified human resources (16 PhD, 17 MSc, 5 undergraduates), with the following skills:
Molecular Biology of Plants, Diseases and Pests
Biochemistry and Microbiology
Biotechnology and Molecular Improvement
Bioinformatics and Biostatistics
Formulations and Nano-/Micro-technology
Product Development
Geographic Information Systems
Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence
Project and Communication Management
OUR MISSION: Developing innovative bio-inspired products and services to protect Mediterranean crops
OUR VISION: Use the latest scientific knowledge to collaborate with stakeholders national and international, to solve the problems posed to Mediterranean agriculture by the emergence of new pests and diseases and the reduced availability of active ingredients
OUR OBJECTIVES - To produce: - New biopesticides for pests and diseases - New [plant] varieties resistant to pests and diseases - New monitoring and diagnostic methods - New risk analysis models
WHAT WE PRODUCE: New biopesticides (oligopeptide/ dsRNA-based)
Produced by GRAS microorganisms or from the phytomicrobiome
Formulated with biocompatible micro/nanoparticles
New plant varieties
Through molecular marker-assisted selection
Through genome editing
Detection and early warning systems
Based on remote sensing and Artificial Intelligence
Genomic prediction tools
Based on high-throughput sequencing and genotyping
Risk analysis models
Agricultural formulations
COLLABORATION WITH COMPANIES:
1. Exclusive contracts 2. Cooperation with funding from different programs 3. Services 3.1 Laboratories 3.1.1 Identification and molecular diagnosis of pests and diseases 3.1.2 Characterization of matrices using FT-NIR 3.1.3 Molecular identification of plant varieties 3.1.4 Development of agricultural formulations 3.1.5 Micropropagation of elite plants 3.2 Digital 3.2.1 Digital monitoring of pests and diseases 3.2.2 Models for predicting the spread of pests and diseases based on remote sensing and AI data 3.2.3 Risk models for emerging pests and diseases 3.2.4 Microbiome analysis 3.2.5 Comparative genomics 4. Agreements 5. Contracts with startups: product functionality screening; toxicological profile assessment; pre-development
*InPP is a recognized entity SIFIDE (System of Tax Incentives for Corporate R&D) - in other words, companies that invest their R&D expenses in us (part d’) will be able to deduct a percentage from their corporate income tax (IRC).
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