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.
O InnovPlantProtect (InPP) estará presente na terceira edição do Encontro Anual de Laboratórios Colaborativos (CoLAB), organizada pela National Innovation Agency (ANI), cujo objetivo é promover e monitorizar as atividades e a evolução progressiva dos 41 CoLABs atualmente reconhecidos, assim como o seu desenvolvimento no contexto de estratégias de investigação e inovação regionais, nacionais e europeias, e que vai decorrer na Universidade do Algarve, no Campus da Penha, entre os dias 6 e 7 de dezembro.
O 3.º Encontro Anual de Laboratórios Colaborativos pretende debater a evolução das atividades dos CoLAB e a sua integração na dinâmica dos ecossistemas regionais, durante a transição para um novo ciclo de financiamento de base, no âmbito da Missão Interface e do Plano Nacional de Recuperação e Resiliência (PRR). Este evento contará com a apresentação dos principais resultados obtidos durante 2022 e os highlights da rede nacional de CoLAB.
O evento contará com a presença de Joana Mendonça, Presidente da ANI, Madalena Alves, Presidente da Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), João Mendes Borga, Membro da Direção da ANI, e Paulo Águas, reitor da Universidade do Algarve. Nesta edição participaram ainda empresas, decisores políticos e peritos nacionais e internacionais.
Neste evento serão debatidos diversos temas de grande impacto como os desafios da população cada vez mais envelhecida, a transformação digital, a crise energética, a economia circular com novos modelos de negócio para um futuro sustentável, as perspetivas portuguesas dos CoLAB e a plataforma da Missão de Interface, entre outros.
Todas as sessões vão decorrer exclusivamente em inglês e serão transmitidas em direto, através do canal de Youtube da ANI here.
A ANI é a entidade que acompanha a implementação da agenda de investigação e inovação de todos os CoLAB. O processo de reconhecimento dos Laboratórios Colaborativos é assegurado pela FCT.
Gafa, or anthracnose, is a disease of the olive grove caused by several species of fungus of the genus Colletotrichum, such as Colletotrichum accutatum, C. nymphaeae or C. godetiae [1,2]. Symptoms typically appear on ripening olives and include: brownish/black spots with depression, dehydration and early fall. In extreme cases, defoliation and branch death can occur [3]. The presence of diseased olives also has a negative influence on olive oil quality, increasing acidity and lowering the oil's oxidative stability [4].
Olive with gafa/anthracnose. Source: Olive Times
Gafa is considered the main disease in olive groves in Portugal and is one of the diseases that will be monitored in the AlViGen project. In order to be able to monitor the strains of Colletotrichum present in the olive grove and derive useful information from this monitoring, we need to have an association between the genome and the phenotype of these strains. That way, when we apply genomic surveillance to Colletotrichum If we identify a particular genotype, we can also identify its phenotypic characteristics. For example, its virulence or pattern of resistance to fungicides.
In order to have this association between genetics and the phenotype of the Colletotrichum, We are working with Rosário Félix's group, a professor at the University of Évora, on the isolation and characterization of strains of Colletotrichum isolated throughout the country. As such, we are asking for the community's help in sending us olive samples so that we can characterize the Colletotrichum present in your olive grove!
The process is very simple:
1. Put 10 olives in a bag (of a single variety) at the time of the color change (with or without symptoms).
2. Fill in the questionnaire to characterize the sample, using your cell phone (see below).
3. Write the sample code on the bag (code generated when filling in the form)
4. Put the bag in a box or padded envelope and send it to: Maria do Rosário Félix Plant Virology Laboratory, room 108, Santos Júnior Building Mitra Center, University of Évora 7000-083 Évora
Cell phone data collection form
So that we can collect data about the sampling site and the type of farm, we ask those who send us samples to also fill in a questionnaire via cell phone.
Once the application is installed, you can access the form with the QR code below using two methods: click on “Configure with QR code” and use the camera to add the QR code below. Alternatively, download the QR code and after clicking on “Configure with QR code”, click on the three dots (top right) and click on “Import QR Code”. From here you will have uploaded the QR code and simply click on “Blank Form” to start adding your sample data.
References
1. Materatski, P., Varanda, C., Carvalho, T., Dias, A. B., Campos, M. D., Rei, F., & Félix, M. D. R. (2018). Diversity of Colletotrichum species associated with olive anthracnose and new perspectives on controlling the disease in Portugal. Agronomy, 8(12), 301.
2. Talhinhas, P., Mota-Capitão, C., Martins, S., Ramos, A. P., Neves-Martins, J., Guerra-Guimarães, L., ... & Oliveira, H. (2011). Epidemiology, histopathology and aetiology of olive anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum acutatum and C. gloeosporioides in Portugal. Plant Pathology, 60(3), 483-495.
3. Talhinhas, P., Sreenivasaprasad, S., Neves-Martins, J., & Oliveira, H. (2005). Molecular and phenotypic analyses reveal association of diverse Colletotrichum acutatum groups and a low level of C. gloeosporioides with olive anthracnose. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 71(6), 2987-2998.
4. Carvalho, M. T., Simões-Lopes, P., & Monteiro da Silva, M. J. (2008). Influence of different olive infection rates of Colletotrichum acutatum on some important olive oil chemical parameters. In V International Symposium on Olive Growing 791 (pp. 555-558).
Nos dias 16 e 17 de novembro, o InnovPlantProtect (InPP) participou no Seminário de Lançamento do Programa de Cooperação Transfronteiriça Interreg Espanha-Portugal – POCTEP 2021-2027, que decorreu entre os dias 16 e 17 de novembro, no Centro de Exposições e Congressos na cidade Ayamonte, em Espanha.
Pedro February, diretor executivo do InPP, iLaria Marengo, Diretora de Departamento, Manisha Sirsat, investigadora do InPP, e Bruno Orrico, gestor de projeto, marcaram presença no seminário do POCTEP2127, o maior programa transfronteiriço da União Europeia (UE) aprovado pela Comissão Europeia, que pretendeu dar a conhecer todas as novidades deste novo ciclo de financiamento (com um orçamento de mais de 320 milhões de euros) e destacar a importância dos projetos transfronteiriços para alcançar territórios mais globais, tecnológicos, inclusivos e sustentáveis.
Com um programa diversificado, que contou com a participação da Secretária de Estado do Desenvolvimento Regional, Isabel Ferreira, e do Diretor da Unidade de Política Regional, Rui Inácio, e com espaços para networking, a iniciativa foi uma excelente ocasião para a troca de experiências e esclarecimento de dúvidas.
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