On September 18, the executive director of InnovPlantProtect (InPP), António Saraiva, the director of the New Biopesticides Department, Cristina Azevedo, and researcher Luís Grilo attended the Open Day “The Cereals of Baixo Mondego”, promoted by the Centro Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR Centro), at the Bico da Barca Experimental Unit in Montemor-o-Velho.
The event highlighted the latest innovations from the Coimbra Innovation Hub, from new technologies applied to maize and rice, to fertilization strategies, protection and the use of biostimulants on these key crops in the Baixo Mondego region.
Our team also monitored trials with biofungicides, including the product I21, developed with our collaborative laboratory to combat pyriculariosis in two rice varieties, which is being patented.
In an interview with Voice of the Countryside, Cristina Azevedo shared the work we have been doing in the area of biosolutions.
Maize continues to be the Portugal's most important arable crop, The sector has a significant impact on food safety and the national agri-food industry. Involving thousands of producers and generating tens of millions of euros a year, the sector is currently facing increasingly complex phytosanitary challenges.
Among already known pests and emerging diseases, there are risks ranging from cartridge caterpillar until Maize Rugose Dwarfism Virus (MRDV), The presence of this virus is increasing in Portugal. This virus, transmitted by the corn leafhopper, can seriously compromise production and is found in the climate change increasingly favorable conditions for its spread.
However, it's not just MRDV that's worrying. There are new threats that require vigilance, such as the coleopter Diabrotica virgifera or the MDMV virus (Maize Dwarf Mosaic Virus), already detected in neighboring countries, and also toxic weeds, such as the winter fig (Datura stramonium), which in addition to impacting productivity pose public health risks.
Faced with this reality, the answer is integrated and sustainable strategies, matching:
crop rotation and good agricultural practices;
careful use of insecticides to avoid resistance and environmental impacts;
resistant or tolerant varieties, where available;
research and technological innovation, including new digital tools for early detection.
As the InnovPlantProtect researcher points out, Nuno Faria, in the article entitled “The main emerging pests and diseases of the maize crop in Portugal”, available in the August edition of Voz do Campo magazine: “The phytosanitary panorama of maize in Portugal requires continuous vigilance, investment in research and the application of integrated and sustainable strategies capable of responding to an increasingly dynamic and unpredictable reality.”
To find out more about the main current risks and mitigation measures, read the full article published in the August issue of Voz do Campo magazine (pages 88-89), available on newsstands and online.
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.
How are innovations being made in the monitoring, diagnosis and management of plant pests and diseases? What decision support platforms are being used at national level? And which smart traps are being applied in the field?
These are some of the questions that will be answered in the webinar “Innovation in pest and disease forecasting models”, promoted by the Centro Operativo e Tecnológico Hortofrutícola Nacional (COTHN), which will take place on July 19, starting at 2pm, and where these and many other topics will be discussed!
The director of InPP's Monitoring and Diagnostics Department, iLaria Marengo, will be one of the speakers at the webinar that will present the Xylella Monitoring platform, which is being developed by our team as part of the SNM_XylellaVt project - National System for Monitoring Insect Vectors of Xylella fastidiosa, funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).
Participation in the session is free, but prior registration is required here.
See the full program in the image below
The webinar will be held as part of the CALL4EARTH project, promoted by COTHN and funded by the PDR2020.
The Insectera Mobilizing Agenda continues at a good pace and the InFrass axis, led by InnovPlantProtect (InPP), is no exception!
The webinar New BioIndustry: “Agronomic valorization of organic insect fertilizer” will take place on July 24 at 11 a.m., bringing together the InPP, academia, insect-producing companies and government authorities to discuss the development and use of organic fertilizers generated from insects that will generate new product lines and innovative processes.
Sandra Correia, director of the Department for the Protection of Specific Crops at the InPP, will be one of the speakers at the webinar presenting the InFrass axis, led by the InPP.
Participation in the session is free, but prior registration is required.
Find out how we're helping to improve the health of plants and soil!
InnovPlantProtect (InPP) and our partners Associação Portuguesa de Mobilização de Conservação do Solo (APOSOLO) and Reynolds Wine Growers are featured in two episodes produced as part of the series “Agriculture: Past, Present and Future”, promoted by the Futuragri project, led by INOVA+.
The first episode of the series “Agriculture: Past, Present and Future”, with the participation of Pedro Fevereiro, executive director of InPP, and Gabriela Cruz, president of the APOSOLO Board, shows the biological and digital solutions that have been developed by the collaborative laboratory and the new technologies that have been used to protect crops from pests and diseases.
The second episode, featuring Nuno Faria, a researcher in the InPP's pest and disease monitoring and diagnostics department, and Nélson Martins, head of viticulture and oenology at Reynolds Wine Growers, shows what the InPP's team of researchers has been doing to combat the green leafhopper, or cicadela, one of the main pests affecting vineyards in the Alentejo.
Futuragri is a project funded by the European Union (EU) and led by INOVA+, which aims to inform and enlighten the national population about the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and play a fundamental role in the agricultural panorama in the EU and particularly in Portugal.
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