News & Events

What will be the future of Rocha pear production? This was the motto for the 10th Rocha in Bloom Meeting, InnovPlantProtect (InPP) took part in this project, which brought together technicians, researchers and companies in the March 15th, no Cadaval, to discuss and debate the problem of stenphylosis and other diseases in the Rocha pear tree.

Cristina Azevedo, director of InPP's New Biopesticides department, was one of the speakers on the panel on “Plant Health: Bacterial Fire” with a presentation entitled “A Control Solution”. The panel was moderated by the executive director of the collaborative laboratory, Pedro Fevereiro.

Image credits: ©️ APAS

The panel on “Plant Health: Stenphyliosis and other enemies” featured Ricardo Ramiro, director of InPP's Data Management and Risk Analysis department, with a presentation entitled “A Roselinea and the soil microbiome”.

Image credits: ©️ APAS

In addition to the problem of plant health, the issues of irrigation water and other production management technologies were also addressed.

The opening session was attended by the Chairman of the Board of the Sobrena Agricultural Producers' Association, Rui Soares, and the Mayor of Cadaval, José Bernardo Nunes.

The closing session was attended by the President of the Portuguese Farmers' Confederation, Álvaro Mendonça e Moura, and the President of the General Assembly of the Sobrena Agricultural Producers' Association, Manuel Chaveiro Soares.

The initiative was organized by the Sobrena Agricultural Producers Association (APAS), in collaboration with Cadaval Town Hall.

Find out more about the meeting here.

InnovPlantProtect (InPP) was present last Tuesday, March 12, at the field session “Soil microbiology and its agronomic relevance”, promoted by the Association of Agroforestry Producers of the Sor Region (Aflosor), in collaboration with the Mediterranean Forest Union (UNAC), which took place at Herdade Margem do Sol Posto, located in Foros do Mocho, Montargil.

Soil microbiology, the fundamental role of mushrooms in forest conservation, the impact of extensive livestock farming on soil biodiversity and fertility and its agronomic relevance were some of the topics covered.

Pedro Fevereiro, executive director of InPP, Nuno Faria and João Colaço, researchers from the collaborative laboratory, took part in this session, which was accompanied by experts, and in which they had the opportunity to examine the soil in the field and take part in a debate where they exchanged experiences and knowledge.

Thanks to Aflosor and UNAC for the excellent exchange of ideas that each participant brought to the table!

(Being updated)

InnovPlantProtect (InPP) took part in the second face-to-face meeting of the project Vertical Algae, The event, which took place this Wednesday, March 13, at the University of Aveiro, and of which the collaborative laboratory (CoLAB) is a part.

The meeting, organized by the University of Aveiro, the Portuguese Association of Algae Producers (PROALGA) and GreenCoLab, brought together more than 140 people, representing the 38 partner entities involved in Algae Vertical, with the aim of taking stock of the work carried out by the seven sub-projects and presenting the results obtained so far and the next steps to be taken to achieve the proposed objectives.

The first part of the meeting included an open session that welcomed renowned dignitaries and industry leaders. Among the guests were Miguel Marques, chairman of Inovamar's Board of Directors, João Navalho, chairman of Necton's Board of Directors, José Ribau Esteves, mayor of Aveiro, and Eduardo Anselmo Castro, vice-president of the Centro Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDRC). This was followed, in an open format to the community, by a presentation of the latest developments, results and the way forward by the respective representatives of each of the seven sub-projects covering the various industrial sectors.

The director of InPP's New Biopesticides department, Cristina Azevedo, presented the 30 algae biomasses tested as part of subproject 6 linked to agriculture, led by our CoLAB in partnership with GreenCoLab, with the aim of understanding their potential as biopesticides and biostimulants.

Last year's inaugural meeting set ambitious goals for the project, aiming to create products, processes and services using blue biotechnology by December 31, 2025.

The meeting allowed for an exchange of knowledge and ideas, with the unique insights that each participant brought to the table fostering an environment of collaboration and innovation.

The partners will continue their journey through the incredible world of algae with great motivation!

You can (re)watch the recording of the meeting on the project's YouTube channel here.

The Algae Vertical, led by Necton, is part of the Blue Bioeconomy Pact and is driven by Inovamar. It is funded by the European NextGenerationEU, through the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).