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.
Around 50 Biology, Technology and Tourism students spent part of the morning and afternoon of November 4 with the InnovPlantProtect (InPP) team, in order to understand the importance of protecting trees, and in particular chestnut trees, a local natural heritage. The project, led by InPP, is directed by Sabugal Town Hall (CMS).
The InPP-led project was presented to students...
... from the 12th grade of the Sabugal School Group
The day was an Education 4.0 experience, in which traditional subjects such as Biology and Ecology were integrated with a description and explanation of the application of “Internet of Things” (IoT) technology to tree monitoring. Incidentally, the presentation coincided with the COP 26 Climate Summit, which ties in perfectly with the main issues being discussed in Glasgow, Scotland.
In the afternoon, the pupils were taken to a meadow used as a study area by the InPP and CMS team. It was there that they were able to see and understand first-hand how IoT sensors work. The visit to the grove was an opportunity for them to take part in practical exercises and learn how to measure some of the physical parameters of trees, such as height, diameter and crown width using traditional methods, while at the same time seeing more modern tools in action.
With in-depth knowledge of the strains and breeds that exist in the country, the Elvas CoLAB can thus devise more efficient and targeted combat strategies.
InnovPlantProtect (InPP) is analyzing yellow rust samples collected from wheat fields in Portugal. Identification at InPP is carried out using PCR techniques and analysis of DNA fragments using SeqStudio, which makes it possible to determine the lineage of the fungus by examining molecular markers.
The polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, is a technique that allows you to copy a specific region of DNA, in vitro. SeqStudio is a sequencing machine that also allows the length of fragments to be measured, from which it is possible to correlate the size of different molecular markers with a given lineage.
Yellow rust is a disease caused by the fungus Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, This pathogen, which affects wheat and other cereals all over the world, jeopardizes the future and stability of cereal crops. This pathogen is biologically very dynamic, adapting quickly to climate change and to the resistant cereal varieties that are being introduced onto the market.
A. Yellow rust on wheat; B. Molecular markers amplified by PCR on an agarose gel; C. Fragment analysis to determine the size of the markers and establish the fungal lineage
So far, the PstS10 strain, the most prevalent in Europe, has been identified. PstS10 has proved to be very aggressive, affecting wheat varieties that were previously resistant to yellow rust. The race of this strain was determined by RustWatch in Denmark to be Benchmark. InPP sent samples to this European project to combat wheat rusts, which, among many other aspects, also involves genotyping and identifying the strains and races of the fungus that causes yellow rust.
With in-depth knowledge of the strains and races present in Portugal, the InPP can therefore devise more efficient and targeted combat strategies, by improving wheat varieties resistant to yellow rust and developing bioinspired control agents.
No product currently on the market is capable of eliminating Xylella fastidiosa, the Commission for the Regional Budget of Puglia, southern Italy. The bacterium continues to seriously affect olive groves in Italy's main olive oil producing region.
“The two products marketed in recent weeks as a treatment against the drying out of trees, and useful for bringing plants back to their original glory, are a mixture of natural soaps or adjuvants,” said the director of Puglia's phytosanitary observatory, Salvatore Infantino, at a public hearing, quoted by OliveOilTimes. The heads of the regional budget commission for this area of southern Italy, which forms the “heel” of the “boot”, guarantee that there are currently no products on the market capable of eliminating the bacteria Xylella fastidiosa of infected trees, particularly olive trees.
This bacterium is the most active pathogen affecting olive trees in Italy's main olive oil producing region. For Salvatore Infantino, the development of a product capable of combating it remains an important goal for many of those striving to reduce the devastation caused by the bacteria. Xylella fastidiosa.
Public authorities must not make the mistakes of the past by giving credence to unscientific theories that have already caused so much damage and wasted so much time.
Fabiano Amati, president of Puglia's regional budget committee
A Xylella fastidiosa was first detected in the European Union precisely in Puglia, in October 2013, and was responsible for an outbreak that, by 2015, had already infected one million olive trees in this Italian region alone. “Currently, good agricultural practices and eradication are the only weapons we have against the Xylella, It's a way of saving time while we wait for a truly effective treatment,” says Salvatore Infantino.
Olive groves infested with Xylella fastidiosa, Puglia, Italy, 2019.
Português 
English