Breeding for Integrated Pest Management – Advancing Resilience Through Innovative Varieties
This September, we kicked off IPMorama, a 4-year, €5 Million worth Horizon Europe project that brings together 17 partners from 10 European countries with a common goal to improve the state of the art in variety-centric Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for important diseases in the wheat (rust pathogens), potatoes (blight) and the grain legumes soybean (the Diaporthe/Phomopsis complex DPC fungi), pea (broomrape) and white lupin (anthracnose).
Why IPMorama is important?
A word from the coordinator!
“The core idea of the IPMorama project is to develop what we call a whole “practice-ecosystem” for IPM using resistant varieties. The goal is to provide a framework of real-world benefits for stakeholders all along the crop value chain. Breeders will benefit by being able to better target their varieties based on an understanding of potential emerging disease threats, growers will benefit from more secure production, consumers will benefit from more sustainable food, and policymakers will have an evidence-based framework for future policy on sustainable agriculture.”
Coordinator – Dr Dan Milbourne of Teagasc’s Crop Science Department
Kick-off Meeting
With the Kick-off meeting held last week in Dublin, Ireland the IPMorama project started its mission. The meeting was hosted by the coordinating entity Teagasc | Agriculture and Food Development Authority at Teagasc Ashtown Food Research Centre on 3-4 October. Here the consortium introduced their plan for activities over the lifetime of the project and refined internal procedures for the IPMorama project implementation, focusing on effective dissemination, exploitation, and communication strategies to engage stakeholders and maximise impact. Additionally, we developed a plan for efficient data management and established a solid roadmap for the upcoming year.
What can you expect in the future?
- Development of IPM-centric varieties: Enhanced crop varieties with integrated pest and pathogen resistance, specifically for wheat (rust pathogens), potatoes (blight), and legumes like soybeans, peas, and white lupin (broomrape and anthracnose).
- Genetic insights for breeders: Advanced understanding of the genetic composition of pest and pathogen resistance in key crops, which will assist breeders in targeting and assembling effective resistance traits.
- Landscape-level pathogen mapping: Detailed maps of pathogen virulence, enabling precise and location-specific IPM strategies that exploit the resistance traits of different crop varieties.
- Innovative IPM tools: Creation of practical tools such as crowdsourcing apps and vulnerability maps that farmers and stakeholders can use to monitor and manage pest risks across different regions and timeframes.
- Stakeholder engagement: A robust knowledge infrastructure for actors across the agricultural value chain, promoting the competent use and scale-up of variety-centric IPM solutions.
Foodscale hub Role in the Project:
Foodscale Hub (FSH) is leading Work Package 4 (WP4) to enhance Communication, Stakeholder Engagement, and Impact of project outcomes across European, regional and local levels. We are dedicated to connecting key players across the value chain and ensuring ongoing collaboration. Our commitment further extends to the development of visual identities, the establishment of interactive online platforms, as well as the creation of engaging content to foster community building and information sharing. Using our expertise, we will apply a strategic coaching methodology to effectively expand IPMorama solutions, build strong relationships with stakeholders and drive project success.
The IPMorama project is Funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. Associated country partners are Funded by SERI & UKRI. All information is available on the project’s website, as well as on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.