This new Horizon Europe project, coordinated by FUNDITEC, will involve the participation of 18 partners from 9 countries seeking to protect potato plants against pests spreading by means of resistance genes characterization, pre-harvest innovative treatments, and post-harvest sustainable solutions.
The objectives are:
- Characterize at molecular level the ecological pest spread pathway and identify potato disease resistance varieties against Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (CLso) and postharvest pathogens as F. sambucinum, C. coccodes, H. solani.
- Provide effective preharvest plant and soil treatments against CLso vector Bactericera cockerelli (BC) and soil-borne pathogens combined with other cutting-edge digital technologies such as image analysis tools (mobile app) and artificial intelligence predictive models.
- Develop postharvest technologies (biocontrol coating solution, controlled atmosphere storage and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) sensors) to control the incidence of soil pathogens and maintain the quality of potato tubers stored.
- All these three strategies and technologies will be incorporated into an integrated pest management (IPM) to validate their performance in a country-specific relevant environments (TRL5) in Germany, France, Spain and UK as representatives of main potato producers. In addition, Ecuador will host field trials against CLso and its vector BC.
- PATAFEST will ensure a long-term strategy for tackling future potato pest threats by carrying out strong dissemination, communication and exploitation plan, with an overarching multi-actor approach and citizen of science activities.
The partners involved in the project are: FUNDITEC, ANECOOP S. COOP, KNEIA SL, AINIA, NEIKER BRTA, Europatat – the European Potato Trade Association, Chemia S.p.A., Cranfield University, IRIS Technology Solutions, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Terrea, Udapa Sociedad Cooperativa, Palacký University in Olomouc, Università di Bologna, Hans Willi Böhmer Verpackung und Vertrieb GmbH & Co.KG, ECSA – European Citizen Science Association, ALBERT BARTLETT, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias.
