Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SAGROPIA (Sustainable agriculture through novel pesticides using an integrated approach)
Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-06-30
SAGROPIA is dedicated to transforming plant protection in European agriculture through the introduction of thirteen biological and low-risk pesticides, which shall replace some “candidates of substitution” (CfS) active substances that are currently in use.
Specifically targeting potato and sugar-beet crops, the project aims to seamlessly integrate new and sustainable solutions to plant protection into comprehensive integrated pest management (IPM) strategies.
The overall objective is to achieve a significant reduction in the reliance on chemical pesticides. This underscores the project’s strong commitment to mitigating adverse effects in crop production on natural resources, people, and the environment.
Finding alternatives to traditional plant protection products (PPP) is especially challenging for row crops like potato or sugar beet, which face high pathogen pressure. Biocontrol solutions have shown success in indoor and high-value crops, but achieving scale for row crops requires innovative strategies integrated into comprehensive pest management plans.
SAGROPIA explores the efficacy of single, biological, low-risk solutions based on plant and microbial extracts and microorganisms in replacing and / or reducing one or more chemical pesticides against the respective target pests under controlled greenhouse conditions.
SAGROPIA will obtain information on the relative activity of 13 biocontrol solutions for controlling target pests and diseases in potato and sugar beet, compared to CfS and other chemical pesticides.
SAGROPIA will upscale/formulate five biopesticides based on plant extracts or microbials, study the mode of action of eight solutions and study the toxicological profile of four. The aim is to have semi-commercial production scale and similar information for all 13 solutions.
Evaluating the currently used IPM strategies for sugar beet and potato, the consortium plans to develop alternative IPM strategies incorporating SAGROPIA solutions, to replace or reduce CfS and other chemical pesticides. Strategies are developed using a multi-actor approach (MAA) to ensure practical relevance. Developed strategies will be tested in small field trials to choose the most promising ones. These trials will be conducted in 5 countries over 3 years for each crop. The final product is a grower’s guide on best-practice, novel IPM strategies for potato and sugar beet.
SAGROPIA addresses the topic CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-7 “Innovations in plant protection: alternatives to reduce the use of pesticides focusing on candidates for substitution”.
This project aims to reduce the overall use and risk of chemical pesticides by 50% and replace three specific pesticides in potato and sugar beet cultivation. The focus is on biocontrol methods targeting key pests such as nematodes, fungi, and insects.
This project impact directly aligns with two of the three relevant expected impacts of Horizon Europe Cluster 6 – Destination 2 “Fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food systems from primary production to consumption.”
Sustainable Farming Systems: The project aims to establish sustainable, productive, climate-neutral, and resilient farming systems. These systems are designed to provide consumers with affordable, safe, traceable, healthy, and sustainable food. Simultaneously, the project aims to minimize pressure on ecosystems, restore and enhance biodiversity, improve public health, and ensure fair economic returns for farmers.
Inclusive and Healthy Food Systems: The project aims to contribute to sustainable, healthy, and inclusive food systems. The project seeks to deliver co-benefits for climate mitigation and adaptation, environmental sustainability, circularity, sustainable healthy nutrition, safe food consumption, food poverty reduction, the inclusion of marginalized people, the empowerment of communities, and the flourishing of businesses.
Specifically targeting potato and sugar-beet crops, the project aims to seamlessly integrate new and sustainable solutions to plant protection into comprehensive integrated pest management (IPM) strategies.
The overall objective is to achieve a significant reduction in the reliance on chemical pesticides. This underscores the project’s strong commitment to mitigating adverse effects in crop production on natural resources, people, and the environment.
Finding alternatives to traditional plant protection products (PPP) is especially challenging for row crops like potato or sugar beet, which face high pathogen pressure. Biocontrol solutions have shown success in indoor and high-value crops, but achieving scale for row crops requires innovative strategies integrated into comprehensive pest management plans.
SAGROPIA explores the efficacy of single, biological, low-risk solutions based on plant and microbial extracts and microorganisms in replacing and / or reducing one or more chemical pesticides against the respective target pests under controlled greenhouse conditions.
SAGROPIA will obtain information on the relative activity of 13 biocontrol solutions for controlling target pests and diseases in potato and sugar beet, compared to CfS and other chemical pesticides.
SAGROPIA will upscale/formulate five biopesticides based on plant extracts or microbials, study the mode of action of eight solutions and study the toxicological profile of four. The aim is to have semi-commercial production scale and similar information for all 13 solutions.
Evaluating the currently used IPM strategies for sugar beet and potato, the consortium plans to develop alternative IPM strategies incorporating SAGROPIA solutions, to replace or reduce CfS and other chemical pesticides. Strategies are developed using a multi-actor approach (MAA) to ensure practical relevance. Developed strategies will be tested in small field trials to choose the most promising ones. These trials will be conducted in 5 countries over 3 years for each crop. The final product is a grower’s guide on best-practice, novel IPM strategies for potato and sugar beet.
SAGROPIA addresses the topic CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-7 “Innovations in plant protection: alternatives to reduce the use of pesticides focusing on candidates for substitution”.
This project aims to reduce the overall use and risk of chemical pesticides by 50% and replace three specific pesticides in potato and sugar beet cultivation. The focus is on biocontrol methods targeting key pests such as nematodes, fungi, and insects.
This project impact directly aligns with two of the three relevant expected impacts of Horizon Europe Cluster 6 – Destination 2 “Fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food systems from primary production to consumption.”
Sustainable Farming Systems: The project aims to establish sustainable, productive, climate-neutral, and resilient farming systems. These systems are designed to provide consumers with affordable, safe, traceable, healthy, and sustainable food. Simultaneously, the project aims to minimize pressure on ecosystems, restore and enhance biodiversity, improve public health, and ensure fair economic returns for farmers.
Inclusive and Healthy Food Systems: The project aims to contribute to sustainable, healthy, and inclusive food systems. The project seeks to deliver co-benefits for climate mitigation and adaptation, environmental sustainability, circularity, sustainable healthy nutrition, safe food consumption, food poverty reduction, the inclusion of marginalized people, the empowerment of communities, and the flourishing of businesses.
Four novel low-TRL products (OR-501, AXP12, C-009, CYN-21) have been successfully upscaled and formulated, with robust protocols validated at lab and pilot scale (Deliverable 2.1). Genome and transcriptomic analyses provide new insights into the mode of action of microbial (e.g. OR-501) and plant-extract-based solutions (orange oil), confirming multiple metabolites, elicitors, and inhibitory pathways. This enriches the scientific understanding of biocontrol mechanisms, particularly the combined roles of direct pathogen suppression, competition, and induction of plant defences. Methodological advances, such as RNA extraction and transcriptomic optimisation in Cercospora beticola, open new avenues for studying sub-lethal and defence-eliciting effects of plant-derived biopesticides. Moreover, WP5 has developed new methodological frameworks for functional equivalence and impact pathways, filling important gaps in sustainability assessment of alternatives. Collectively, these achievements place SAGROPIA at the scientific frontier of integrated pest management and biopesticide research.
Three greenhouse trials in the Netherlands plus complementary trials in Austria successfully tested SAGROPIA biofungicides against Phytophthora infestans (late blight), Alternaria solani (early blight), and Cercospora beticola (leaf spot).
Potato trials: In the Netherlands, untreated plants were readily infected while reference controls suppressed disease. SAGROPIA biofungicides showed variable efficacy, with some candidates reducing disease severity in late and early blight. Efficacy was cultivar-dependent for early blight (better results in Agria than Bintje), and mixtures did not outperform single solutions. Austrian outdoor trials were inconclusive due to heat stress.
Sugar beet trials: Infection could not be established in Dutch trials, but Austrian experiments with two Cercospora strains demonstrated that several SAGROPIA solutions were effective, confirming their potential. Combined applications generally did not improve outcomes.
Three greenhouse trials in the Netherlands plus complementary trials in Austria successfully tested SAGROPIA biofungicides against Phytophthora infestans (late blight), Alternaria solani (early blight), and Cercospora beticola (leaf spot).
Potato trials: In the Netherlands, untreated plants were readily infected while reference controls suppressed disease. SAGROPIA biofungicides showed variable efficacy, with some candidates reducing disease severity in late and early blight. Efficacy was cultivar-dependent for early blight (better results in Agria than Bintje), and mixtures did not outperform single solutions. Austrian outdoor trials were inconclusive due to heat stress.
Sugar beet trials: Infection could not be established in Dutch trials, but Austrian experiments with two Cercospora strains demonstrated that several SAGROPIA solutions were effective, confirming their potential. Combined applications generally did not improve outcomes.
The SAGROPIA project is delivering scientific, economic, societal, and industrial impacts by developing, validating and scaling up novel biopesticides and integrating them into Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies.
The consortium partners already provided four novel products beyond the state of the art, upscaled and formulated, and some results were also provided in real-world farming conditions.
A program to asses toxicological and ecotoxicological profiles of the novel products has been scheduled to fill out registration dossiers in the future. Further elaboration of results is due at a later stage of the project.
The consortium partners already provided four novel products beyond the state of the art, upscaled and formulated, and some results were also provided in real-world farming conditions.
A program to asses toxicological and ecotoxicological profiles of the novel products has been scheduled to fill out registration dossiers in the future. Further elaboration of results is due at a later stage of the project.