BIOVEXO goes to Porto!
The BIOVEXO project partnership was in Porto, Portugal from 22nd January to 26th January 2024 for a highly-productive week of meetings and events! Here’s a concise summary of our recent trip where we delved into project progress and outlined exciting plans for the upcoming year
We began with our annual consortium meeting, held in the excellent REAL Restaurant. This was split over days 1 and 3. In our consortium meeting, we meticulously reviewed the strides made in our ongoing project.
Here are the key takeaways
We dissected the achievements of the past year, celebrating milestones and acknowledging areas where we excelled. Metrics were scrutinized, and we celebrated the successful completion of critical deliverables. Our collective efforts (literally) bore fruit as Mallorca saw record olive harvests this year! In our field trials we witnessed tangible progress.
Candid discussions also ensued about the hurdles we encountered, for example, last summer’s drought, which severe affected our trials in some locations. These challenges, though formidable, served as valuable learning opportunities. We identified bottlenecks, refined processes, and committed to continuous improvement.
Strategic Vision for the Coming Year
With renewed vigor, we charted our course for the remaining 15 months of the BIOVEXO project. Our overarching goal: maximizing impact. In the project’s final reporting period we look forward to a number of scientific publications.
Each Work Package aligned their objectives with the project-wide vision. Clear KPIs and KERs were established, ensuring that every action contributes to the larger research and innovation goals.
We emphasized the importance of agility—being responsive to shifts in the situation of Xylella as well as variations in weather.
Annual Plan Creation
Armed with insights from the past year, we crafted a robust annual plan for 2024, finalizing our field trials. This blueprint will guide us through the year, providing clarity and accountability.
Concrete goals were set, and we committed to periodic progress checks. Adjustments will be made as needed to keep us on track.
Team Unity and Collaboration
But our meeting wasn’t just about data and strategies; it was a reaffirmation of our collective purpose. As we sipped coffee and exchanged ideas, we felt the pulse of a cohesive team—one that thrives on collaboration and one shared aspiration: to defeat Xylella.
In conclusion, our consortium meeting was more than a mere discussion; it was a compass pointing us toward a successful year ahead.
But, the BIOVEXO consortium meeting was not our only reason to visit Portugal: on 23rd January we met with experts from 4 other EU/EFSA-funded research projects in our Multi-Project Stakeholder Meeting.
Unlocking Synergies: Collaborative Insights from EU-Funded Research Projects
The Multi-Project Stakeholder Meeting was envisioned as a melting pot for scientific minds, where the BIOVEXO consortium were joined by experts from the OLEAF4VALUE, NOVATERRA, BeXyl, and Xvectors projects. Here’s a glimpse into the vibrant discussions that unfolded. We were hosted by the wonderful Douro Museum, located in the fully-restored and adapted Casa da Companhia Velha, a building that is emblematic of the history of the world’s oldest demarcated and regulated wine region at the heart of a World Heritage region.
Representatives from the 4 EU-funded research initiatives gathered with a common goal: sharing their respective approaches to: combatting Xylella fastidiosa – a bacterium that continues to pose threats to Europe’s olive and almond trees in particular; reducing the use of pesticides in the Mediterranean region; valorisation of the olive leaf biomass by extracting novel bioactive compounds.
The room buzzed with anticipation as experts from diverse backgrounds exchanged ideas.
Project Progress and Insights
BIOVEXO began by outlining their work on biopesticides. Scientific Coordinator Stéphane Compant explained how the six candidate biocontrol solutions targeting both Xylella and its vector, the spittlebug have been refined and how the most promising solutions up-scaled for further testing.
The BeXyl project, led by Blanca B. Landa, gave their presentation remotely. This multidisciplinary project explores innovative solutions to manage Xylella outbreaks. Their approach encompasses prevention, rapid detection, search for resistance and outbreak management.
OLEAF4VALUE, with its focus on valorizing olive biomass, shared insights on sustainable biorefining. Their cross-sectoral connections bridged the primary sector, technology providers, and sensor technology research.
NOVATERRA, committed to underused biomass, showcased their consortium’s efforts. Their holistic approach spanned raw material, biorefining, market validation, and sustainability assessment.
Finally, the Portuguese-based, EFSA-funded XVectors project was presented.
Advancements in Research
The Multi-project Stakeholder Meeting unveiled exciting developments and emphasized the tangible results that EU-funded research was delivering against major threats. Collaboration remained the guiding star. The potential for sharing information, holding joint-events and collaborating on communication activities was underscored. Preparedness and early detection emerged as key tools in the fight against Xylella. The stakes were high, given the economic and environmental heritage at risk. This convergence isn’t just about research; it is about safeguarding Europe’s green legacy!
Following the fascinating discussions, the BIOVEXO consortium was delighted to take to opportunity to travel to the nearby vineyards of NOVATERRA project partner SoGrape. There we were treated to an expert-guided vineyard tour, hosted by SoGrape Head of R&D, António Graça, and Head of Viticulture, José Manso. The Quinta do Seixo vineyard features the breath-taking landscape of the Douro Valley at a particular special place where the landscape mosaic provides a comprehensive example of agricultural landscape management through biodiversity conservation. It also features an array of solutions for slope vineyard systematization providing the best possible land use while minimizing soil erosion, landslide risk and water conservation. The BIOVEXO partners were beguiled by explanations of some of the ways in which technology is being used to track plant health.
In many aspects, Quinta do Seixo has been a test-bed for advanced sustainable farming techniques for mountain viticulture. Many different projects have been developed and implemented at Quinta do Seixo:
- Centimetric resolution slope mapping to evaluate surface and subsurface water flow in support of intelligent drainage systems and mitigating erosion and landslide risk
- Locally dedicated weather station integrating a vast European network – cooperation with KNMI / Copernicus / WMO for E-OBS dataset
- Functional biodiversity through conservation farming – project LIFE+ BIODIVINE, Syngenta’s Operation Pollinator
- Mating disruption against the grapevine moth (Lobesia botrana) in slope vineyards
- Conservation of grapevine’s intra-varietal diversity and development of polyclonal selection
- Cover crop management in rain-fed vineyards
- Low-cost fruit maturity optoelectronic sensor – patent registered
- Agricultural robotics
The BIOVEXO team was extremely grateful to our hosts at the Quinta do Seixo vineyard!
On days 3 and 4 of our trip to Portugal we were back in Porto, where we concluded our Consortium Meeting and held our Project Review Meeting with the European Commission.
On the final day we enjoyed a brief walk to the river in Porto before holding a debriefing meeting. All in all, it was a hugely successful trip. All the BIOVEXO partners learned a lot and great plans were set in place for the coming year to ensure that our research will continue to produce outcomes that will move us towards our goal of defeating Xylella. Let’s continue this journey together, fuelled by determination and a shared commitment to excellence!
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