Project description
Integrating bio-stimulants into holistic approaches for crop management
Seed germination, the initiation of plant growth, faces mounting challenges from environmental degradation and climate change. Inadequate crop management practices exacerbate these issues, emphasising the urgent need for innovative solutions. Despite the acknowledged benefits of beneficial microbes in adult plant health, their role in seed resilience remains poorly understood, hindering the development of effective bio-stimulants. With this in mind, the ERC-funded NanoCroptective project aims to unlock the potential of microbe-seed interactions for sustainable agriculture. Anticipated outcomes include a 50 % reduction in fertiliser and pesticide use, bolstering the credibility of biological solutions for sustainable crop production.
Objective
Seed germination is the first step of a sequence of events that promote the transit of seeds from dormancy to vegetative growth. Therefore, it is a tightly regulated program that ensures further plant growth and survival in a supportive environment. The emergency provoked by continuous deterioration of the environment due to non-respectful crop management strategies and potentiated with climate change has increased the focus on this primordial stage of the plant growth as a primary target of strategies that help mitigating unsustainable issues. Beneficial microbes live in association with all plants, and we know how to take advantage of this benefit for the wealth of adult plants; however, little is known on their contribution to seed resilience and adaptation to a changing environment. This lack of knowledge may lead to unfeasible and weak bio-stimulant results undermining their credibility and entry into the market. Supported by findings of our deep investigation on the mutualistic interaction microbe-seed, we propose a proof of concept for a precise and customizable strategy based on the use of fengycin, a molecule produced by Bacillus cells in the interaction with seeds, and a fine-tuned nanotechnology platform to improve and increase the mobilization of nutrients of oil bodies containing seeds. We do expect a better adaptation of plantlets to the environment, major adult plant growth and immunization against microbial pathogens, and an average 50% reduction in the use of fertilizers and pesticides. Altogether our methodology should serve to improve the credibility of biological solutions as potent bio-stimulant of seed growth and thus potentiate their inclusion in sustainable programs of crop production and protection.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences basic medicine immunology immunisation
- engineering and technology nanotechnology
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2022-POC2
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
29016 MALAGA
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.