Project description
New MD method to increase agricultural productivity
The global population growth means farmers worldwide need to increase crop production. However, pests remain a problem. EU scientists are moving away from current methods such as chemical insecticides and GM crops, which are unsustainable. The EU-funded PHERA project is developing a new effective, affordable and sustainable pest control method that uses insect sex pheromones to prevent pest reproduction by disrupting the insects’ ability to attract mating partners. The mating disruption (MD) method, which has been widely used for specialty crops, does not affect biodiversity, soil or groundwater. PHERA is developing the biological production of radically cheaper pheromones that will finally allow the application of MD for pest control in row crops. By 2027, PHERA plans to have created a new agtech business for MD solutions in row crop applications worth EUR 640 million and 300 new jobs.
Objective
Agricultural productivity needs to rise by 70% by 2050 to provide sufficient food for the growing population on a limited amount of land and water, while climate change and the onset of insect resistance makes pest control increasingly difficult. The current (overused) tools, chemical insecticides and GMO-crops, are not sustainable and most of the alternative biological solutions are not feasible for the large scale agriculture in row crops due to the high cost, complicated application methods, and inconsistent performance.
Mating Disruption (MD) is an effective, affordable, and sustainable pest control method, which uses insect sex pheromones to prevent pest reproduction by disrupting their ability to attract mating partners. Mating Disruption is a scalable new solution for row crops, with 20-years of successful application in specialty crops. MD is a sustainable, non-toxic pest control method, which does not affect biodiversity, soil, or groundwater.
The key objectives of PHERA are to demonstrate cost-efficient production of three bio-based pheromones at full industrial scale and to demonstrate pheromone effectiveness for pest control and for sustainable increase of agricultural productivity in the field. The cost of pheromones has been a key barrier to the wide adoption of MD in row crops. Biological production of radically cheaper pheromones is a disruptive technology that will allow the application of pheromones for pest control in row crops.
PHERA will create a new value chain across biotech and ag-tech, and the consortium brings together all required expertise in biotech production and pheromone formulation and application. PHERA will create a new ag-tech business for MD solutions in row crop applications worth €640 million and 300 new jobs by 2027, and a long-term potential in excess of €2 billion. The new products developed in PHERA will have a substantial positive impact on the sustainability profile of large-scale row crop production.
Fields of science
- social scienceseconomics and businesseconomicsproduction economicsproductivity
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystems
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculture
- natural sciencesbiological scienceszoologyentomology
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes
Programme(s)
- H2020-EU.3.2. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy Main Programme
- H2020-EU.2.1.4. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Biotechnology
- H2020-EU.3.2.6. - Bio-based Industries Joint Technology Initiative (BBI-JTI)
Funding Scheme
IA - Innovation actionCoordinator
2100 COPENHAGEN Ø
Denmark
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.