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Sustainable agriculture through novel pesticides using an integrated approach

Project description

Innovative against chemical pesticides in potato and sugar beet

The EU’s Farm to Fork policy prioritises safe and secure food production. However, the widespread use of chemical pesticides negatively impacts health and the environment. The EC has identified that reducing the use of harmful pesticides is crucial. The EU-funded SAGROPIA project aims to reduce chemical pesticide use in potato and sugar beet cultivation. It will introduce 13 low-risk pesticides to replace harmful substances and reduce the overall use of copper and insecticides. The project will combine biocontrol solutions proven effective on specialty crops, incorporate Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies that are affordable and readily accepted by farmers, and demonstrate effectiveness through real-life trials in five European regions with farmer engagement.

Objective

Safe and secure food production is central to the European Farm to Fork policy. However, secure crop production still depends on the widespread use of chemical pesticides, which is associated with negative impacts on the environment and human health. Diminishing use of so-called ‘candidates for substitution’ identified in Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 is of particular importance for combating harmful effects. SAGROPIA employs integrated pest management (IPM) to demonstrate substitution and reduction of chemical pesticides in the cultivation of potato and sugar beet. These row crops are prone to diseases such as early and late blight and cercospora leaf spot and to pests such as nematodes and the Colorado beetle. SAGROPIA will bring forward thirteen biological and low-risk pesticides from three company partners with the aim to replace several ‘candidates for substitution’ active substances , including the nematicide oxamyl and the fungicides difenoconazole, fluopicolide and metalaxyl. It also aims to reduce overall use of ‘candidates for substitution’ copper and insecticides pirimicarb, lambda-cyhalothrin and esfenvalerate by at least 50%. SAGROPIA’s approach combines several biocontrol solutions that, individually, have already proven activity on specialty crops and are close to market. SAGROPIA solutions are formulated, production is upscaled, and their mode of action is being studied. To grant affordability and ready acceptance by farmers, SAGROPIA envisions not simple replacement of chemical pesticides but incorporation of its solutions into innovative, comprehensive IPM strategies. Effectiveness will be demonstrated in participatory real life-trials performed in five potato and sugar beet growing European regions with active participation and engagement of farmers. Thorough sustainability assessments will give account of economic feasibility and show improved performance in terms of natural resources, people and the environment, besides preparing novel solutions.

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation Actions

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01

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Coordinator

RTDS - VEREIN ZUR FORDERUNG DER KOMMUNIKATION UND VERMITTLUNG VON FORSCHUNG, TECHNOLOGIE UND INNOVATION (RTDS VEREIN, ENGL. RTDS ASSOCIATION)
Net EU contribution

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.

€ 809 472,50
Address
STROZZIGASSE 2 / 2. STOCK
1080 WIEN
Austria

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SME

The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.

Yes
Region
Ostösterreich Wien Wien
Activity type
Other
Links
Total cost

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.

€ 809 472,50

Participants (8)

Partners (2)

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