InnovPlantProtect (InPP) was present at the Science 2025 Meeting in Lisbon, at the Nova SBE Campus, to take part in the parallel session “Crop Protection for One Health, and Food and Environmental Sustainability”.
The Encontro Ciência took place from July 9 to 11 at the NOVA SBE Campus in Carcavelos, with the motto “Science, Innovation and Society”. Portugal's largest science and technology meeting was the stage for promoting and discussing the scientific, social, cultural and economic impact of research in Portugal, exploring the intersection between science, innovation and society, to inspire new ideas and foster transformative collaborations.
The director of the Data Management and Risk Analysis Department, Ricardo Ramiro, and the director of the New Biopesticides Department, Cristina Azevedo, presented some of the results of their work in this session co-moderated by the executive director, António Saraiva.
During the session, two important solutions for the agricultural sector, developed by our team, were presented:
iCountPests - an innovative app that uses AI to detect and count pests accurately and quickly in photos of chromotropic traps.
InPP 2 - a broad-spectrum biofungicide capable of fighting Botrytis cinerea, the fungus responsible for gray rot in tomatoes.
CoLAB MORE Colab - Collaborative Mountain Research Laboratory and Sfcolab - Collaborative Laboratory for Digital Innovation in Agriculture, were also present at the parallel session, as well as GREEN-IT, to discuss how science and innovation can tackle the challenges of climate change and promote more sustainable agricultural systems.
On June 30, InnovPlantProtect (InPP) was present at the meeting “7 years of CoLABs: impacts and perspectives”, which brought together political decision-makers, experts from the Portuguese innovation ecosystem, leaders from different sectors, representatives of public and private entities and the representatives of the 41 Collaborative Laboratories (CoLAB), at the Pavilhão do Conhecimento in Lisbon.
The meeting, organized by the Forum of Collaborative Laboratories (FCoLAB), aimed to reflect on the impact of the work carried out by the different CoLABs over the last seven years, as well as to address future prospects and identify strategies to boost the contribution of scientific research and innovation to the economy and society.
This initiative was an opportunity to showcase the products, services and solutions developed by CoLAB over the last seven years, highlighting its contribution to innovation, competitiveness and sustainability in various sectors of the economy. The application recently launched by InPP, iCountPests, which allows pests to be counted automatically using images from traps, reducing the time invested in monitoring and making it possible to create a pest history, was also highlighted.
The event was attended by the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, the Secretary of State for the Economy, João Rui Ferreira, Manuel Heitor, from the IN+ Center for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research and former Minister of Science and Innovation, António Grilo, President of ANI, among others.
In his speech, the Minister for Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, highlighted the purpose of science at national level: “We hope that the science created in Portugal will generate innovation. More than technology, innovation is the answer to society's problems. You are the agents of change!”.
During the session, the main activity indicators and proven impact of the first seven years of CoLABs' activity were also presented, and multisectoral perspectives on their role in the national science and innovation ecosystem were debated, focusing on topics such as socio-economic impact, internationalization, business competitiveness, technological innovation and sustainability.
The activity indicators and the impact of the 7 years of activity are as follows:
More than 260 projects approved
More than 1,300 qualified jobs created
19M€ in tax revenue generated
More than 900 interactions with companies
33 patent applications (10 granted)
680 scientific articles published
The two afternoon panels were attended by companies, partners and management entities, who reflected on the impact generated so far and presented proposals for maximizing CoLAB's long-term contribution to both the economy and Portuguese society.
At a time when the basic funding options for CoLABs are being discussed, this event is of the utmost importance. The area of crop protection, in particular, needs more investment in innovation. Holding this event was important for bringing this urgent and strategically important issue to the debate.
The InPP was also present in the exhibition area, receiving important visitors, including the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, the Secretary of State for the Economy, João Rui Ferreira, the Secretary of State for Science and Innovation, Helena Canhão, the President of the FCT, Madalena Alves, the President of the National Innovation Agency, António Grilo, the President of the National Monitoring Committee for the RRP, Pedro Dominguinhos and the Executive Director of Ciência Viva, Ana Noronha.
On June 11th, InnovPlantProtect (InPP) held a seminar on “Six years of innovation: CoLABs” path to the future of the agricultural and agri-food sectors", at the National Agriculture Fair (FNA) in Santarém.
The event brought together, for the first time, six Collaborative Laboratories (CoLABs) with direct involvement in the agricultural and agri-food sectors: InnovPlantProtect, CoLAB4Food, FeedInov CoLAB, Food4Sustainability, MORE CoLAB and SmartFarmCoLAB.
Round table 1 - Sofia Couto (ANI), Paulo Madeira (InPP), André Mota (Colab4Food), Cristina Monteiro (FeedInov), Margarida Palma (Food4Sustainability), Albino Bento (MORE CoLAB), and Helena Vazão (SmartFarmCoLAB)Round table 2 - Isabel Martins (Vida Rural), Pedro Viterbo (Fertiprado), Rui Lima (SenseTest), Jaime Piçarra (IACA), Gonçalo Amorim (BGI), Andreia Afonso (Deifil Technology) and André Sá (TEROMOVIGO)Closing session - Tiago Pinto (ANPROMIS), António Saraiva (InPP), Miguel Teixeira (CoLAB4Food), Ana Sofia Santos (FeedInov), Nuno Serra (Food4Sustainability), Albino Bento (MORE CoLAB) and Helena Vazão (SmartFarmCoLAB)
The program included two round tables. The first, dedicated to “Innovation in Action: The Results and Impacts of CoLABs in Agriculture and Agrifood”, representatives from each CoLAB took part, presenting success stories and projects developed, with emphasis on the intervention of the innovation manager at InnovPlantProtect, Paulo Madeira, He shared InPP's achievements in developing solutions for more sustainable agriculture.
The second round table, under the theme “Partnerships for the Future: How CoLABs are Driving Innovation in the Agricultural and Agri-Food Sector”, The event was attended by partner companies and associations, who stressed the importance of collaborating with the CoLABs. Among the speakers were Pedro Viterbo, manager of Fertiprado, InnovPlantProtect's partner, accompanied by representatives of the following organizations Sense Test, Associação Portuguesa Dos Industriais De Alimentos Compostos Para Animais (IACA), Building Global Innovators (BGI), DEIFIL Technology and TeroMovigo.
The seminar ended with a moment of joint reflection, with speeches from all the executive directors of the CoLABs present, including the executive director of InnovPlantProtect, António Saraiva, The meeting was organized by the European Commission, which stressed the importance of cooperation and strategic coordination between the Collaborative Laboratories, reinforcing their collective commitment to innovation and sustainable development in the agricultural and agri-food sectors.
Round table 1 - Paulo Madeira (InPP)Round table 2 - Pedro Viterbo (Fertiprado)Closing session - António Saraiva (InPP)
Throughout the seminar, the importance of synergies between science, innovation and the market became clear, as did the need to strengthen funding and guarantee conditions for the continuity and growth of these Collaborative Laboratories, whose impacts are already visible in the national agricultural and agri-food ecosystem.
This meeting was an important moment for sharing experiences and strengthening collaborative work, charting a joint path towards a more competitive, sustainable and innovative future for agriculture and agri-food in Portugal.
The software used to access and visualize the data sent by the Tree Talker sensors installed in chestnut trees in Sabugal has been improved and is now more intelligent and interactive, thanks to the use of data science tools. This development was carried out by the Monitoring and Diagnostics Department as part of the project “Educating to know, protect and monitor chestnut trees through IoT technology”, co-financed by the Environmental Fund and led by InnovPlantProtect (InPP) in collaboration with Sabugal Municipal Council (CMS).
The application of the technology known as “Internet of Things” (IoT, from the English Internet of Things) is the main novelty of this year. innovative environmental education program. By installing remote sensors on the trunks, the trees communicate their state of health, including parameters such as water consumption, biomass growth, stem humidity, absorbed solar radiation and the state of health of the leaves through light reflection.
Once collected by the TT Cloud concentrator (gateway), the raw data from the Tree Talkers is transmitted to a server via the Internet and converted into “readable” information, in the form of graphs, tables and fault alerts, among other things. With the new development, users can no longer view static graphs but can interact with dynamic graphs, which, for example, allow them to zoom in on a particular peak or curve to access a very specific and precise time period.
In addition to facilitating and improving the consultation and analysis of data on the variation in the voltage of the batteries that power the Tree Talkers, or on the temperature recorded, among many others, the new software automatically triggers email messages to pre-defined users in the event of an alert - for example, if a battery suddenly runs out of charge, in which case a trip to the site is necessary to replace the power supply device.
As part of its strategy for developing bio-inspired products, InnovPlantProtect (InPP) is building a library of microorganisms isolated from various environments, which are being identified by molecular characterization and evaluated for their biochemical properties, indicative of their potential role as Biological Control Agents (BCA). In parallel, InPP is building up a portfolio of phytopathogenic agents (bacteria and fungi), which will serve as a basis for evaluating the BCA. in vitro e in vivo the potential of isolated BCA.
Isolated fungi growing on plates in culture medium.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), around 40% of global agricultural production is lost every year due to pests and diseases, which translates into losses of more than 195 billion euros. For decades, phytopharmaceuticals have played a fundamental role in maintaining agricultural health, protecting crops against pests and diseases and ensuring food safety. However, their excessive and sometimes inappropriate use has a negative impact on soil, water and biodiversity, and can have harmful effects on the health of animals and humans.
As part of the “From Farm to Fork” strategy, one of the pillars of the European Green Deal, the European Commission has set targets for the sustainable use of phytopharmaceuticals, one of which is to reduce their use by 50% by 2030. In order to cope with the withdrawal of these products from the market, it is necessary to develop effective, sustainable, environmentally friendly and economical alternatives.
Bacterial growth inhibition test.
One of these alternatives is the use of BCA. These microorganisms are efficient at reducing the incidence or severity of diseases caused by phytopathogens, and some also act as biostimulants, i.e. they have the ability to increase the strength and speed of plant development.
There are several mechanisms through which BCAs carry out their functions, namely: inducing resistance mechanisms in the plant; competing with pathogens for space and nutrients; interacting through antibiosis mechanisms (in which one organism harms the development of the other); secreting antimicrobial or antifungal compounds; and invading and/or killing the cells of plant pathogens.
In the current context of climate change in the Alentejo region, the green leafhopper (or cicada) represents one of the biggest challenges in terms of pests faced by wine producers, with a significant impact on production. It was against this backdrop that a team from InnovPlantProtect (InPP) designed and carried out the experimental trial “Monitoring and Diagnosis of Green Leafhopper Infestations in Vineyards of the João Portugal Ramos”, work on which began in May 2021, on the Vila Santa estate in Estremoz.
The green leafhopper (species Jacobiasca lybicand Empoasca spp.), in this case, is a pest that sucks the leaves of the vine, altering their color and shape. The leaves lose their ability to photosynthesize, darken and, in the most serious cases, fall off. The grapes lose quality and quantity. The vineyard can also be weakened in the post-harvest period.
The main objectives of this trial, led by Pest and Disease Monitoring and Diagnosis Department of the InPP, were to characterize the damage caused by leafhoppers and to obtain information on the demographic parameters of these insects, which will serve as a basis for using remote sensing to predict the time and space of the pest's occurrence.
In the first phase, traps were placed in 14 locations, in collaboration between technicians from João Portugal Ramos and the InPP. These traps were monitored weekly between May and August by an InPP team to count adult individuals of the green leafhopper. In June, field work intensified, with surveys being carried out to detect vines infested by green leafhoppers.
The surveys ran until the end of July and 58 vines were selected and marked for weekly monitoring. The selected vines were monitored between June and August, and the number of nymphs was counted, the instar of the nymphs observed (stage of metamorphosis between two moulting periods), as well as recording the severity of the symptoms observed.
All the information obtained was recorded using the app ODK Collect for Android, being immediately accessible through a WebGIS platform created with the software open source QGIS/Lizmap. Other tasks carried out included collecting specimens for identification in the laboratory and prospecting for the pest in potential natural hosts during the winter period.
InPP will soon be presenting some of the results of this trial, and the R&D plan for 2022 is currently being prepared.
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