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Development of innovative priming technologies safeguarding yield security in soft fruit crops through a cutting-edge technological approach

Project description

Priming of plants to protect them from stresses

Plants get stressed. Crop plants are vulnerable to various abiotic stresses (salinity, flooding, heat, cold, excess light) that reduce productivity and ultimately threaten efforts to nourish the planet. One solution is to use priming agents. Plants can be primed by chemical compounds, such as sodium nitroprusside and hydrogen peroxide. Today, the development of non-toxic priming agents (PAs) is an important R&D activity. The EU-funded PRIMESOFT project will explore innovations in the application of PAs in value-added soft fruit. It aims to bridge the gap between chemical and nanomaterial priming research and smart farming practice. The project will use computational analysis and mechanistic modelling to identify components that regulate the mode of action of PAs.

Objective

The development of non-toxic priming agents (PAs) is an important R&D activity, driven by European Commission (EC) policy. PRIMESOFT´s overarching objective is to explore innovations in the application of PAs in value-added soft fruit crops from a range of perspectives and strengthen educational, research and innovation activities among the Widening Institution (WI) and 4 internationally-renowned Advanced Partners (APs). Through this multi-actor approach, we aim to bridge the gap between chemical and nanomaterial priming research and agricultural practice in order to bring the inventions closer to application and commercialization towards resource-efficient smart farming practices. Besides the novelty of its technological approach that will be validated by sophisticated Life cycle cost analysis, PRIMESOFT´s ambition is to use computational analysis and mechanistic modelling to identify key components that regulate the mode of action of PAs through the employment of transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches. The WI is expected to receive pioneering education, research and technological capacity by a polymorphic Consortium that share highly complementary skills and the nature of their activities creates added value. Outreach activities are expected to create significant scientific, societal and economic impacts and are particularly dedicated to 8 researchers of the WI in order to acquire the necessary competencies to seek a position of professional maturity. Specifically, PRIMESOFT has planned 2 thematic workshops, 4 training schools with hands-on practice in state-of-the-art methodologies, and an international scientific conference. PRIMESOFT aspires to enhance strategic networking activities of WI with both APs and stakeholders of the agro/food sector during and beyond the end of the project. To this aim, a business plan towards the development of a Regional Center of Excellence in Plant Sciences will be developed.

Coordinator

TECHNOLOGIKO PANEPISTIMIO KYPROU
Net EU contribution
€ 894 500,00
Address
ARCHBISHOP KYPRIANOS 31 SAVINGS COOPERATIVE BANK BUILDING 3RD FLOOR
3036 Lemesos
Cyprus

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Region
Κύπρος Κύπρος Κύπρος
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
€ 894 500,00

Participants (4)