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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - INTERFUTURE (From microbial interactions to new-concept biopesticides and biofertilizers)

Teaser

Summary

The number of authorised pesticides in agriculture is constantly decreasing and thanks to the European directive 2009/128/EC their use is becoming more sustainable. Thus, the risks and impacts of pesticides on human health and the environment are constantly reduced. The promotion of low pesticide-input management and the reduction of chemical fertilizers is among the actions listed in the Directive. Recent studies have highlighted how microorganism interactions are crucial for the health of the agro-ecosystem, but novel understandings on plant, insects and microorganism interactions are still far from being translated into new sustainable technologies. Main objectives of the INTERFUTURE project are i) to bridge the gap between the most recent discoveries of science and the industrial development of products by the creation of multidisciplinary and inter-sectoral doctorate programmes, ii) to train early stage researchers through an industrial doctoral programme that integrates academic research with product development in EU companies with a strong curriculum in development and innovation and iii) to explore new approaches and to identify new cutting edge solutions for pathogen and insect control and for crop fertilization based on natural tools that will be developed by a strict collaboration of academic and industrial partners.
The project includes eleven beneficiaries and three partner organizations from seven countries (Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and United Kingdom) and they include six universities (University of Molise, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, University of Nottingham, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne and University of Trento), two research centres (Fondazione Edmund Mach and New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited) and six industrial partners (Azotic Technologies Ltd, BioBest, Biological Products for Agriculture-BIPA, De Ceuster Meststoffen NV, E-NEMA Gesellschaft fÃ¼r Biotechnologie und Biologischen Pflanzenschutz GmbH and Inoq GmbH).

Work performed

The INTERFUTURE project was established to create an European network on the development of new solutions to control pests and diseases (biopesticides) and new methods to stimulate crop growth and yield (biofertilisers) based on a better understanding of interactions occurring between microorganisms, plants and insects, rather than using microorganisms directly as plant protection products or plant growth promoters. Eleven early stage researchers from ten countries (Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Jordan, Montenegro, Pakistan, Serbia, Spain and Tunisia) were recruited and enrolled in an international PhD programme that includes academic and industrial training activities with a personalised career development plan and research activities at academic and industrial partners.
During the first reporting period, new rhizosphere-associated bacteria were isolated and their plant growth promoting activities were characterized in an innovative work-flow diagram, in order to easily select marketable biostimulants. Likewise, a collection of bacterial endophytes was screened and strains able to promote plant growth and to ameliorate plant tolerance against abiotic stresses were identified and subjected to further functional characterization and industrial development. Promising products previously developed by the industrial partners were characterised during the first reporting period and mechanisms of plant-endophyte interaction and pathogen growth inhibition were investigated by functional and molecular analyses. These results indicated the high value of these innovative products that will be further developed as a novel bacterial biostimulant and an anti-nutritional biopesticide. In addition, the role of microbial volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as innovative tools to control plant pathogens and to attract insects was characterized. In particular, bacterial VOCs with antagonistic activity against soil borne phytopathogenic microorganisms were identified and the effect of bacterial VOCs in the perception mechanisms of insects was characterized. Studies of substrate effects on bacterial VOC production and insect behaviour upon VOC exposure are in progress in order to better understand metabolite and functional properties of VOC-based products. Further research activities are planned with academic and industrial partners for the scaling-up, field validation and product development during the second part of the industrial doctorates. The strong interaction between the academic and industrial sector of this project will also create a fast channel for the industrialization of new-frontier ideas and guide academic research towards more specific industrial research needs.

Final results

To achieve the project aims, complex interactions occurring between microorganisms, plants and insects will be clarified by multidisciplinary and inter-sectoral approaches and knowledge to develop marketable products for plant growth promotion and for plant protection against pests and diseases will be provided. To do so, it would be important to reinforce exchanges between academic and industrial research and to finalize the training of industrial doctorates involved in the project in the second part of the project. In particular, product development will be based on the selection of best performing rhizosphere-associated bacteria responsible for plant growth promotion, characterization of the mode of action of bacterial endophytes as stimulator of plant growth and tolerance against abiotic stresses, investigation of properties and mechanisms of marketable products previously developed by the industrial partners and development of microbial volatile organic compounds as control products against plant pathogens and insects. Scientific bases for novel marketable pests biopesticides and biofertilisers will be provided at the end of the project and industrial researchers will be trained to give them robust scientific skills and a clear understanding of the practical constrains of the industrial process and the marketâ€™s needs, who will be the future driving force for the development of next-generation products for agriculture.