Estamos em contagem decrescente para a Feira Nacional de Agricultura (FNA), uma das maiores feiras agrícolas do país!
É já de 7 a 15 de junho que o InPP vai estar na 61ª edição da Feira Nacional de Agricultura, que se realiza no CNEMA – Centro Nacional de Exposições, em Santarém.
O tema da edição deste ano é “Biosoluções”e pretende destacar a importância das soluções e tecnologias inovadoras no setor agroalimentar e na promoção de práticas mais sustentáveis e eficientes.
A FNA reúne agricultores, empresários e especialistas dos setores agroalimentar, pecuário e agrícola e é um excelente espaço para aumentar a nossa rede de contactos, trocar conhecimentos e apresentar as mais recentes tendências e soluções agrícolas que a nossa equipa tem desenvolvido.
Vai poder encontrar-nos no stand nº.18, à entrada do Espaço dos claustros, dedicado à Agenda InsectERA, entre as 10h e as 20h.
InnovPlantProtect (InPP) took part in the National Olive Growing Fair (FNO 25) in Campo Maior, from May 23 to 25, presenting its latest biological and digital innovations for crop protection, including projects focused on biopesticides for olive diseases and early detection of fungi that cause gafa, and monitoring insect vectors of the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, which attacks olive groves. The Elvas CoLAB was present with its own stand to demonstrate its strengths and the impact of its research on agricultural sustainability, inviting producers, technicians and researchers to learn about its innovative bio-based and digital solutions and to actively participate in the discussion of the sector's challenges.
The collaborative laboratory (CoLAB) welcomed visitors at the stand no. 14, located at thematic area at the Campo Maior Municipal Garden, to showcase their activity, the ongoing projects that are developing solutions to the main olive diseases, the patents already submitted, the apps for agricultural management and the bio-based and digital products and services they have to offer the agricultural sector and the market. Throughout the three days of the fair, some of InPP's researchers were at the stand to demonstrate to visitors the various features of the Elvas CoLAB, which has been developing innovation that it hopes will contribute to the sustainability of agricultural systems.
InPP announced ValorCannBio project, which is processing biomass that is not used in the medical cannabis industry to develop effective and sustainable biopesticides against gafa and tuberculosis, The project will be carried out in the municipality of Elvas, which is responsible for decimating entire harvests, leading to severe economic losses and compromising food quality. The impact of this project will be felt in the municipality of Elvas, where the project is being developed, but it is expected that it will extend to the entire olive-growing region from Trás-os-Montes to the Algarve, where production losses are increasing due to these diseases. O AlViGen project was also one of the protagonists and is using cutting-edge technology to detecting and identifying the strains of fungi that cause gafa, long before the symptoms become visible. The project team has used traps to collect spores that circulate in the air to monitor the presence of fungi, which can give farmers an important advantage in preventing infections and protecting their crops, reducing production losses.
O SNM_XylellaVt project, The SNM_XylellaVt project, led by DRAPCENTRO and in which InPP actively participates, was also highlighted at FNO. SNM_XylellaVt is monitor the insect vectors of the bacteria Xyllela fastidiosa, in particular the foam leafhopper, the insect responsible for transmitting the bacterium, which attacks various agricultural and forestry crops, and in particular olive groves. The project team is developing new tools, such as risk prediction models which, in the presence of the bacterium, whether in plants or insect vectors, will allow the National Agricultural Warning Service (SNAA) to alert, in real time, about the economic attack levels (EAL) for these insects, thus allowing prevent infection of the main crops. As part of this project, the team has also developed an online platform where citizens can report the sighting of foams, which are signs of the presence of the insect vectors of X. fastidiosa, This will help to map its temporal and spatial distribution and to plan measures to combat this bacterium.
The FNO, organized jointly by the Campo Maior City Council and the Centre for the Study and Promotion of Olive Oil in the Alentejo (CEPAAL), is an event that aims to enhance national olive growing, and in particular Portuguese olive oil, boosting the local economy and bringing together professionals from the sector - producers, technicians, or researchers - from all over the country to discuss challenges and trends in the Portuguese olive and olive oil sector.
Each year, crop diseases cause devastating losses in agricultural production, threatening food security and the livelihoods of millions of farmers. In the heart of Alentejo, an innovative project is harnessing the power of genomics to help combat these invisible threats. The AlViGen Project, with the participation of InnovPlantProtect researchers Rute Rego and João Bilro, is paving the way for a new era of crop surveillance and protection.
The Problem and the Solution
“Yellow rust in wheat and olive quick decline syndrome are real scourges for farmers,” explains Rute Rego, a researcher at AlViGen. “These diseases can decimate entire harvests, leading to severe economic losses and compromising food quality.”
But AlViGen is not limited to observing the problem. The team is using cutting-edge technology to detect and identify the strains of fungi that cause these diseases, long before the symptoms become visible.
“We use traps to collect spores circulating in the air,” Rute continues. “These traps allow us to monitor the presence of fungi in real-time, which gives us an important advantage in preventing infections.”
But the magic happens in the laboratory, where the team extracts the DNA from the spores and performs advanced genomic analyses, using powerful DNA sequencing technology based on the metabarcoding method, carried out with cutting-edge technology like the portable Nanopore sequencer.
Rute Rego, a researcher at InnovPlantProtect, analyzes samples of the fungus causing olive quick decline syndrome as part of the AlViGen project.
Unraveling the Genetic Code of Fungi
To better explain what metabarcoding is and its advantage in detecting the presence of species or strains of fungi that cause diseases in crops, the researcher gives the example of a bag full of different types of grains - rice, beans, corn - being analyzed by the reader. “Metabarcoding is like placing a unique label (a ‘barcode’) on each type of grain. Then, you can mix all the grains in a single sample, and by reading the labels, you can identify the quantity of each type of grain present.'”
In the case of AlViGen, this technique allows for the analysis of multiple fungal species simultaneously (in multiple samples), each with its own genetic ‘barcode,’ and to ‘identify exactly which fungi are present, even in small quantities,'” the researcher explains.
And what is the practical impact of this method for monitoring and predicting disease? The AlViGen project researcher can identify, with high precision, the moment when the pathogenic agent begins to appear in the field, which makes it possible to alert farmers in real-time about the risk of disease. Producers can adopt preventative measures and apply the necessary products to avoid infection, contributing to a rapid and effective response in disease prevention.
The Timeline of Fungal Evolution
AlViGen's research is not limited to identifying the microorganisms harmful to crops; it also seeks to understand their evolution and diversity. João Bilro, another researcher on the project, is dedicated to studying the phylogeny of the Colletotrichum fungus, a microorganism responsible for causing olive anthracnose or blight, a disease that affects olive groves in Portugal. This disease mainly affects the olives, which compromises the quality of the olive oil.
“Phylogeny is crucial for understanding how the different strains of Colletotrichum Just as a family tree traces the history of a family, showing how members are related to each other, phylogenetic trees reveal the evolutionary relationships between the different strains of this fungus. Each branch of the tree represents an evolutionary lineage, and the nodes indicate common ancestors. By comparing the DNA sequences of these strains, we can reconstruct their evolutionary history, identifying which are genetically closer or more distant, and thus infer characteristics such as virulence or resistance to fungicides,” he reveals.
This knowledge allows researchers to identify patterns of dissemination and adaptation of the fungus, which is fundamental for developing more effective strategies to contain and/or reduce the damage this fungus causes to Portuguese olive groves.
“One of the challenges of our research is the great genetic diversity of the Colletotrichum,” admits João. “However, by uncovering their evolutionary secrets, we are paving the way for the development of more precise and targeted detection and control methods.”
Left photo: João Bilro, a bioinformatician at InnovPlantProtect, studying the phylogeny of the Colletotrichum fungus within the scope of the AlViGen project; Right photo: Rute Rego and João Bilro discuss ideas about the AlViGen project.
The Future of Agriculture Starts Here
The AlViGen Project aims to have a significant impact on the agricultural landscape, especially in Alentejo, a region with a strong agricultural tradition. By providing farmers with early detection tools and precise information about the microorganisms that cause crop diseases, the project intends to aid in decision-making, allowing farmers to protect their crops and reduce production losses.
“Our ultimate goal is to empower farmers with the knowledge and tools they need to protect their crops sustainably,” states Rute. “We believe that genomic surveillance is a key tool for the future of crop protection.”
João Bilro agrees and adds, “Continuous research is fundamental to keep up with the evolution of harmful microorganisms and to develop new, consistently effective control strategies. In the future, we hope to expand the scope of AlViGen to include other microorganisms and crops, and to make genomic surveillance an accessible tool for all farmers.”
Science at the Service of Agriculture
The AlViGen Project, supported by the Promove Program of the “la Caixa” Foundation, in partnership with Banco BPI and the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), is an inspiring example of how science and technology can be applied to solve real-world problems and transform agriculture. By unraveling the genetic secrets of crop microorganisms, Rute Rego and João Bilro are paving the way for a safer, more sustainable, and resilient agriculture.
The fight against crop diseases continues, but with AlViGen, farmers can finally see the enemy before it becomes visible.
“InnovPlantProtect (InPP) is consolidating itself as a reference center in applied research, combining biotechnology and digitalization, to offer a range of solutions for crop protection, focused on the prevention, monitoring and mitigation of phytosanitary threats, but also on the delivery of bioinspired solutions (...) for the optimization of agricultural productivity,” António Saraiva, executive director of InnovPlantProtect (InPP), told Voz do Campo magazine.
In an opinion piece for this month's edition of Voz do Campo magazine, António Saraiva, InPP's executive director, highlighted CoLAB's commitment to innovation and sustainability, as well as its ability to attract and retain highly qualified young researchers. The opinion article “InnovPlantProtect: Science and Innovation at the Service of the Agricultural Challenges of the 21st Century” recognizes InPP's contribution to the transformation of agriculture.
The executive director also warns of the uncertainty over the future of InPP's public funding, and calls for the need to define a stable funding framework to guarantee the continuity of CoLAB's work.
Read the full article (in the file below) and find out how we are shaping the future of agriculture.
We thank Voz do Campo magazine for its recognition and reiterate our commitment to building a more sustainable and innovative agricultural future.
Opinion article “InnovPlantProtect: Science and Innovation at the Service of the Agricultural Challenges of the 21st Century” by António Saraiva, executive director of InPP, published in the March edition of Voz do Campo magazine.
The 12th National Maize Colloquium 2025, promoted by Anpromis, brought together around 600 farmers and specialists from the agri-food sector in Figueira da Foz to discuss the technical challenges, innovations and best practices associated with growing maize in Portugal, as well as the European challenges in the current geopolitical context.
The executive director of InnovPlantProtect (InPP), António Saraiva, moderated the panel on “The technical challenges of corn production in Portugal”, which included the participation of André Antunes, Consultant in agricultural resilience, Stéphane Jezequel, Technical Director of Arvalis, and Luís Queirós, Global Director for Fodder Additives at Lallemand Animal Nutrition.
The Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, José Manuel Fernandes, closed the event with a speech focusing on the national strategic measures that are essential for cereal production and the instruments and financial resources that will benefit the agricultural sector.
InPP would like to thank Anpromis, a founding member of InPP, for inviting us to moderate the panel on “The technical challenges of corn production in Portugal”. It was an excellent moment for dialog and the exchange of knowledge, which is essential for the development of the sector!
Image credit: Anpromis
Left and middle photo: InPP's executive director, António Saraiva, moderating the panel “The technical challenges of maize production in Portugal” at the 12th National Maize Colloquium 2025; Right photo: The agricultural community gathered at the 12th National Maize Colloquium 2025 to debate the future of the agricultural sector.
The General Assembly of InnovPlantProtect (InPP), held last Tuesday, February 4, at the Auditorium of the National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV) - Elvas Campus, in Elvas, formally swore in the new governing bodies. NOVA University Lisbon, which was reappointed to the Board of Directors (BoD), nominated Margarida Oliveira to the position of Chair of the InPP BoD for the 2025-2027 triennium.
In her speech, re-elected president Margarida Oliveira said that this term of office will be marked by the challenge of capitalizing on the entire structure set up and the results already achieved by the INPP team, in order to guarantee the Association's financial sustainability and its continued ability to produce solutions for the market. “The INPP team is a source of pride for those who dreamed up what was just a project at the time, but which in just six years, and in the middle of a pandemic, has achieved strong recognition at national and international level,” he said.
The previous chairman of the General Assembly (GA), Domingos dos Santos, president of the National Federation of Fruit and Vegetable Producers“ Organizations (FNOP), handed over the presidency of the GA to Pedro Monteiro, chairman of the board of Casa do Arroz, and took the opportunity to thank him for his two terms and ”the way he has always been treated by the InPP“. FNOP is now a member of the Board of Directors. In his speech, the now chairman of the GA, Pedro Monteiro, highlighted his ”pride in representing the Board of Directors for six years and the great honor" for Casa do Arroz in accepting the Presidency of the GA.
António Saraiva, InPP's executive director, welcomed the new members of the Board of Directors for the 2025-2028 triennium, as well as the rest of the bodies. For the executive director, “CoLAB has made significant progress to ensure a solid future. We are implementing a series of strategic projects, improving the efficiency of our teams and our internal workings in order to better serve the agricultural ecosystem and our members. Today, we continue to bet on a stronger InPP, ready to establish itself as a benchmark in the development of new technologies, products and services with a strong innovation component. We will continue to work towards the modernization and competitiveness of agriculture, boosting knowledge of the agricultural sector and being a fundamental link between academia, companies and production. This is our mission and our ongoing commitment.”.
The new governing bodies are committed and motivated to making CoLAB grow and innovate, strengthening its representativeness in the agricultural sector.
The following governing bodies were elected for the three-year period 2025-2027:
General Meeting Board: Chair - Casa do Arroz; First Secretary - University of Évora and Second Secretary - Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre
Board of Directors: Chair - NOVA University Lisbon; Vice-Chair - INIAV
Board members: Syngenta Crop Protection, Fertiprado, ANPROMIS, FNOP and ANPOC.
Português 
English