Our novel approaches ultimately aim to provide a holistic solution to the problem of early detection by providing a set of invasive and non-invasive methods for either field or lab monitoring with various degrees of field applicability, complexity and combinatorial usage.
PANTHEON has indeed generated new knowledge and made advancements to the state of the art in several key areas that enhances the expertise of all partners and enables cross-sector and cross-discipline knowledge sharing during the project but also in the future. A strongly cross-sectorial and interdisciplinary network promotes exposure to the market needs and exchange of new concepts, methods and approaches. This project has brought together experts with similar goals, from different parts of the world, from various disciplines and academic partners, who often identify first abiotic stress mechanisms or novel pathogenic threats and produce the detection protocols, with the industry that makes monitoring products and eventually uses these products.
The project has increased the awareness of all stakeholders, including the public, about the problems in sensitive and accurate monitoring of plant health in real-time and their suggested solutions.
From an economic viewpoint, all 3 participating SMEs have directly benefitted from the activities of PANTHEON, as protocols for early monitoring and defining threats to plant’s health are of immediate and high interest to SMEs involved, but also eventually to breeders, companies and all nurseries working with similar plant species. In addition, the planned, direct academic-SMEs collaborations achieved the production of products that will or have been commercialized and thus reach end-users. Besides, climate change repercussions on viticulture are being markedly sensed due to soil salinization, water shortage and increased temperatures which affect growth, development and yield of grapevine as well as grape organoleptic and aromatic quality. These parameters will be further exacerbated by spreading of viral, fungal or other pathogenic infections with devastating impact on local and global economies. Hence, our approaches have contributed to offsetting these threats to economy and society.
From a scientific point of view, there are at least three areas of scientific boost: 1. Transfer of knowledge and tools (new germplasm, protocols for defining and monitoring early stress responses, primers and probes, diagnostic methods, etc) between participants. 2. Access to novel biological material to be screened for possible adaptations and identification of tolerant ones and the responsible genes/mechanisms in future studies 3. Training events improving the expertise of involved personnel and annual meetings. The projected outcomes have provided a paradigm for various stress scenarios determination, identification of pathogens and verification of pathogen-free material that can be easily extended to other plant species/conditions providing a general platform for direct exploitation by various research actors.
Given the structure of the consortium, the size and geographical distribution of participants, an impact at the social level is also expected. In the great majority of the countries involved the agricultural sector has significant contribution to the national GDP and more importantly agriculture in these countries affects a significant portion of their national and regional activities. Grapevine (Greece, Tunisia, Italy, France, Portugal) occupies a large area of the respective participants’ countries and many people's lives depends on it. In these ways, project results could impact society in a pertinent way, and can lead to progress in societal challenges such as food security and transition to a biobased economy.
