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Projects

Innovative tools for rational control of the most difficult-to-manage pests (“super pests”) and the diseases they transmit (SuperPests)

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Project description

Among the most acute challenges that many producers of fruit and vegetable crops currently face are a subset of arthropod pest species - namely aphids, whiteflies, thrips and mites - that are extremely difficult to control (the “super pests”). These issues have been caused, in part, by the over reliance on synthetic insecticides and novel methods of control are urgently required. The SuperPests project aims to meet this need by developing and evaluating a suite of innovative products, tools and concepts, and integrating these with existing approaches in data driven Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs. These control strategies will ensure the effective and sustainable control of the “super pests”, with substantially reduced use of pesticides. To achieve this SuperPests will develop multiplex and automated sample-to-answer diagnostics (biotypes, infection status and insecticide resistance profile), evaluate biopesticides (green chemistry – plant extracts & metabolites, synergists, RNAi and bio-stimulants), study host plant resistance to pests and compatibility with biological control, select natural enemies better suited to certain crops and IPM, and develop predictive mathematical models, iteratively validated against experimental data, to determine optional combinations for IPM. Successful completion of the deliverables of SuperPests will create opportunities for the commercial exploitation of the new tools and products. The previous experience of the consortium members with a whole range of multi-actor and multidisciplinary approaches and cutting-edge translational technologies, the extensive synergies with parallel large international programs, and the inclusion of appropriate companies places the SuperPests team in a strong position to generate knowledge and create smart tools and practices which ensure pest control while protecting the environment and human health.

Start/End of project

01.09.2018 until 31.08.2022

Project manager

Dr. Konstantinos Mitsakakis (Prof. Dr. Roland Zengerle)

Contact person

Dr. Konstantinos Mitsakakis
Phone:+49 761 203-73252

Partners

1. Agricultural University of Athens (AUA), Greece 2. ENDURA SPA (ENDURA), Italy 3. Universiteit Gent (UGent), Belgium 4. The University of Exeter (UNEXE), UK 5. Albert-Ludwigs-Universitaet Freiburg (ALU-FR), Germany 6. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), France 7. BIPA N.V. (BiPA), Belgium 8. Ellinikos Georgikos Organismos-Dimitra (DIMITRA), Greece 9. Universiteit Van Amsterdam (UvA), Netherlands 10. Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Spain 11. Univesidad Politècnica de Cartagena (UPCT), Spain 12. Biobest Group N.V. (Biobest), Belgium 13. The University of Western Ontario (WESTERN), Canada

Keywords

Lab-on-a-Chip, bioanalysis, microfluidics, biopesticides, pests, plant diseases
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