About

The FAO estimates a 34% increase in the world population by 2050. As a result, the productivity of important staple crops such as cereals and horticultural species needs to be boosted by an estimated 43%.

Knowledge obtained from essential plant and soil sciences must be connected to innovative applications in agriculture and plant cultivation. Hence, sustainable biological practices such as biofertilisers (compost and microorganisms) that boost plant yield, quality or even novel functionality, and tolerance to abiotic stresses should be exploited to improve agricultural production.

This project addresses a global food system  good for the consumer,  for the planet and  for the farmer. It aims at:

• Develop cultivation technologies verified and demonstrated in the field to tackle some challenges simultaneously, including food insecurity, malnutrition and other diet-related health issues, rural poverty, and mitigation of climate change;
• Explot beneficial indigenous microorganisms biofertilisers and agents to achieve sustainable and highly productive agriculture, and to mitigate climate change;
• Recycle green and agro-industrial waste into compost and biostimulants that can be reused in agriculture allowing the improvement of the soil fertility/functioning and crops yield;
• Understand the phenotypes and molecular traits of leading staple food crops (cereals and horticultural crops) under diverse environmental conditions.