NOVATERRA delivered validated tools, strategies, and economic insights that supported the transition to sustainable, low-PPP agriculture across Mediterranean Europe.
We conducted 45 trials across Greece, Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal, testing alternative solutions to conventional PPPs in grapevine and olive production. These included biosolutions, biostimulants, resistance inducers, nanoparticles, biocontrol agents, mating disruptors (which confuse pests’ reproductive cycles), mass trapping (using traps to capture large numbers of insects), and ozonized water. While no single alternative proved fully effective alone, many showed potential as part of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. Limited pest pressure due to hot, dry weather affected trial outcomes and crop yields.
Biofungicides often underperformed under high disease pressure but were useful in reducing fungicide use. Resistance inducers and biocontrol agents showed promise, especially against mildew. Effective botrytis control depended on matching agents to crop stages and weather. Mass trapping and B. bassiana showed comparable results to conventional methods, though some trials were affected by environmental or logistical factors. Ozonized water showed poor performance due to technical issues.
Smart farming innovations included AI detection algorithms for powdery mildew and peacock leaf spot, and a holistic DSS platform integrating pest prediction and variable rate application (VRA).
Soil management trials tested cover crops, floral margins, fertilization strategies, and pruning wood composting. These practices improved biodiversity and disease control, with nitrogen fertilizer reductions of 30–40% using Optinyte™ (a nitrogen-stabilising fertiliser that reduces runoff) and biostimulants. A mowing robot prototype (Modular-E) was tested, though fire safety issues emerged.
Integrated trials in 2023 refined IPM models under varying weather conditions. Surveys showed consumer willingness to pay more for wine and olive oil with reduced PPPs. Farmer adoption was generally positive, driven by perceived costs, effectiveness, and familiarity. Cost-benefit analyses showed that several innovations generated positive returns, with some (e.g. robotics solutions) achieving strong economic performance within one year. Adoption barriers included cost concerns, limited knowledge, and uncertainty. NOVATERRA recommended education, certification schemes, and field demonstrations.
Commercial exploitation focused on results developed by partner companies with market potential, such as biostimulants, bio-insecticides, nitrogen stabilisers, a modular robot for soil management, and digital/DSS tools for crop management, through the definition of exploitation strategies, intellectual property management and specific feasibility studies. In parallel, dissemination widely shared the results through publications (12), participation in 61 events, organisation of 27 workshops/trainings for end users, and creation of 96 practice abstracts. All the materials are available on a Zenodo-based Open Access platform.
