{"id":19539,"date":"2025-05-16T09:20:08","date_gmt":"2025-05-16T09:20:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iplantprotect.pt\/2025\/05\/an-invisible-revolution-in-agriculture-how-genomics-is-protecting-the-crops-of-alentejo\/"},"modified":"2025-09-05T18:02:48","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T18:02:48","slug":"an-invisible-revolution-in-agriculture-how-genomics-is-protecting-the-crops-of-alentejo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iplantprotect.pt\/en\/an-invisible-revolution-in-agriculture-how-genomics-is-protecting-the-crops-of-alentejo\/","title":{"rendered":"An Invisible Revolution in Agriculture: How Genomics is Protecting the Crops of Alentejo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Each year, crop diseases cause devastating losses in agricultural production, threatening food security and the livelihoods of millions of farmers. In the heart of Alentejo, an innovative project is harnessing the power of genomics to help combat these invisible threats. The AlViGen Project, with the participation of InnovPlantProtect researchers Rute Rego and Jo\u00e3o Bilro, is paving the way for a new era of crop surveillance and protection. <\/p>\n\n

The Problem and the Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\u201cYellow rust in wheat and olive quick decline syndrome are real scourges for farmers,\u201d explains Rute Rego, a researcher at AlViGen. \u201cThese diseases can decimate entire harvests, leading to severe economic losses and compromising food quality.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

But AlViGen is not limited to observing the problem. The team is using cutting-edge technology to detect and identify the strains of fungi that cause these diseases, long before the symptoms become visible. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cWe use traps to collect spores circulating in the air,\u201d Rute continues. \u201cThese traps allow us to monitor the presence of fungi in real-time, which gives us an important advantage in preventing infections.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

But the magic happens in the laboratory, where the team extracts the DNA from the spores and performs advanced genomic analyses, using powerful DNA sequencing technology based on the metabarcoding<\/em> method, carried out with cutting-edge technology like the portable Nanopore sequencer.<\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

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Rute Rego, a researcher at InnovPlantProtect, analyzes samples of the fungus causing olive quick decline syndrome as part of the AlViGen project.<\/p>\n\n

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Unraveling the Genetic Code of Fungi<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

To better explain what metabarcoding<\/em> is and its advantage in detecting the presence of species or strains of fungi that cause diseases in crops, the researcher gives the example of a bag full of different types of grains - rice, beans, corn - being analyzed by the reader. \u201cMetabarcoding is like placing a unique label (a \u2018barcode\u2019) on each type of grain. Then, you can mix all the grains in a single sample, and by reading the labels, you can identify the quantity of each type of grain present.'\u201d <\/p>\n\n

In the case of AlViGen, this technique allows for the analysis of multiple fungal species simultaneously (in multiple samples), each with its own genetic \u2018barcode,\u2019 and to \u2018identify exactly which fungi are present, even in small quantities,'\u201d the researcher explains.<\/p>\n\n

And what is the practical impact of this method for monitoring and predicting disease? The AlViGen project researcher can identify, with high precision, the moment when the pathogenic agent begins to appear in the field, which makes it possible to alert farmers in real-time about the risk of disease. Producers can adopt preventative measures and apply the necessary products to avoid infection, contributing to a rapid and effective response in disease prevention. <\/p>\n\n

The Timeline of Fungal Evolution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

AlViGen's research is not limited to identifying the microorganisms harmful to crops; it also seeks to understand their evolution and diversity. Jo\u00e3o Bilro, another researcher on the project, is dedicated to studying the phylogeny of the Colletotrichum<\/em> fungus, a microorganism responsible for causing olive anthracnose or blight, a disease that affects olive groves in Portugal. This disease mainly affects the olives, which compromises the quality of the olive oil. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cPhylogeny is crucial for understanding how the different strains of Colletotrichum<\/em> Just as a family tree traces the history of a family, showing how members are related to each other, phylogenetic trees reveal the evolutionary relationships between the different strains of this fungus. Each branch of the tree represents an evolutionary lineage, and the nodes indicate common ancestors. By comparing the DNA sequences of these strains, we can reconstruct their evolutionary history, identifying which are genetically closer or more distant, and thus infer characteristics such as virulence or resistance to fungicides,\u201d he reveals.<\/p>\n\n

This knowledge allows researchers to identify patterns of dissemination and adaptation of the fungus, which is fundamental for developing more effective strategies to contain and\/or reduce the damage this fungus causes to Portuguese olive groves.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cOne of the challenges of our research is the great genetic diversity of the Colletotrichum<\/em>,\u201d admits Jo\u00e3o. \u201cHowever, by uncovering their evolutionary secrets, we are paving the way for the development of more precise and targeted detection and control methods.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

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Left photo: Jo\u00e3o Bilro, a bioinformatician at InnovPlantProtect, studying the phylogeny of the Colletotrichum<\/em> fungus within the scope of the AlViGen project; Right photo: Rute Rego and Jo\u00e3o Bilro discuss ideas about the AlViGen project.<\/p>\n\n

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The Future of Agriculture Starts Here<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

The AlViGen Project aims to have a significant impact on the agricultural landscape, especially in Alentejo, a region with a strong agricultural tradition. By providing farmers with early detection tools and precise information about the microorganisms that cause crop diseases, the project intends to aid in decision-making, allowing farmers to protect their crops and reduce production losses. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cOur ultimate goal is to empower farmers with the knowledge and tools they need to protect their crops sustainably,\u201d states Rute. \u201cWe believe that genomic surveillance is a key tool for the future of crop protection.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

Jo\u00e3o Bilro agrees and adds, \u201cContinuous research is fundamental to keep up with the evolution of harmful microorganisms and to develop new, consistently effective control strategies. In the future, we hope to expand the scope of AlViGen to include other microorganisms and crops, and to make genomic surveillance an accessible tool for all farmers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Science at the Service of Agriculture<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

The AlViGen Project, supported by the Promove Program of the \u201cla Caixa\u201d Foundation, in partnership with Banco BPI and the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), is an inspiring example of how science and technology can be applied to solve real-world problems and transform agriculture. By unraveling the genetic secrets of crop microorganisms, Rute Rego and Jo\u00e3o Bilro are paving the way for a safer, more sustainable, and resilient agriculture. <\/p>\n\n

The fight against crop diseases continues, but with AlViGen, farmers can finally see the enemy before it becomes visible.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Each year, crop diseases cause devastating losses in agricultural production, threatening food security and the livelihoods of millions of farmers. In the heart of Alentejo, an innovative project is harnessing the power of genomics to help combat these invisible threats. The AlViGen Project, with the participation of InnovPlantProtect researchers Rute Rego and Jo\u00e3o Bilro, is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19609,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[282,281],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-en","category-noticia"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iplantprotect.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19539","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iplantprotect.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iplantprotect.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iplantprotect.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iplantprotect.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19539"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/iplantprotect.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19539\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19705,"href":"https:\/\/iplantprotect.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19539\/revisions\/19705"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iplantprotect.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iplantprotect.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iplantprotect.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19539"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iplantprotect.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}