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EU funding (€3,987,404): Microbial Uptakes for Sustainable management of major bananA pests and diseases Hor 22 May 2017 EU Research and Innovation programme "Horizon"

Overview

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Microbial Uptakes for Sustainable management of major bananA pests and diseases

Nematodes and weevils of banana with Panama disease globally affect food security, causing yearly crop losses for many billion € in Canary Islands, Caribbean and Africa. These threats concomitantly affect crops in tropical and sub-tropical systems. In regions such as Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) millions of farmers rely on cooking banana, plantain and ensete as starch staple food crops and for income. Pesticides no longer represent a sustainable option for control, and many have been progressively withdrawn from use in the EU or are highly restricted, due to harmful effects on the environment and toxic residues. In SSA, where phytosanitary policies and regulations are often less effective, such pesticides are still being (mis)used, posing a significant threat to vulnerable farmers and consumers. In the absence of long term strategies or suitable control methods, and under the influence of changing climates in tropical and subtropical regions, the banana crops are becoming ever more exposed to pathogens and pests due to higher multiplication rates and prevalence induced by temperatures and rainfall patterns. The principal outcome of this project will be to achieve sustainable intensification of Musa spp. and ensete crops, through identification, development and implementation of IPM based on beneficial microorganisms. MUSA proposes, in a holistic view, IPM methods based on microbial consortia and banana germplasm, studying the plant reactions (phenotypic and molecular) to different biotic stresses. This will be achieved by screening, testing and evaluating in the field, selected banana lines, in an attempt to identify (via transcriptomic analyses) the principal genes involved in driving a resistant/succumbent response, and the interaction with beneficial microorganisms. The latter include endophytes and biocontrol agents (EBCAs) integrated with plant germplasm to develop information-based IPM strategies through field trials.


Funded Companies:

Company name Funding amount
Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas €363,469
Centro Nacional DE Sanidad Agropecuaria €298,063
Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche €489,414
Escuela DE Agricultura DE LA Region Tropical Humeda €175,601
Grupo Regional de Cooperativas Plataneras del Archipielago Canario €158,096
International Institute OF Tropical Agriculture €433,604
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven €493,569
Msbiotech S.p.A. €97,306
Sacom LAB S.p.A. €91,413
Southern Nations, Nationalities AND Peoples Regional Agricultural Research Institute €219,563
THE International Centre OF Insect Physiology AND Ecology €204,320
THE Real IPM Company (Kenya) Ltd. €168,346
The University of Exeter €354,635
Universidad de Alicante €440,006

Source: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/727624

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