Project description
New MD method to increase agricultural productivity
The global population growth means farmers worldwide need to increase crop production. However, pests remain a problem. EU scientists are moving away from current methods such as chemical insecticides and GM crops, which are unsustainable. The EU-funded PHERA project is developing a new effective, affordable and sustainable pest control method that uses insect sex pheromones to prevent pest reproduction by disrupting the insects’ ability to attract mating partners. The mating disruption (MD) method, which has been widely used for specialty crops, does not affect biodiversity, soil or groundwater. PHERA is developing the biological production of radically cheaper pheromones that will finally allow the application of MD for pest control in row crops. By 2027, PHERA plans to have created a new agtech business for MD solutions in row crop applications worth EUR 640 million and 300 new jobs.
Objective
Agricultural productivity needs to rise by 70% by 2050 to provide sufficient food for the growing population on a limited amount of land and water, while climate change and the onset of insect resistance makes pest control increasingly difficult. The current (overused) tools, chemical insecticides and GMO-crops, are not sustainable and most of the alternative biological solutions are not feasible for the large scale agriculture in row crops due to the high cost, complicated application methods, and inconsistent performance.
Mating Disruption (MD) is an effective, affordable, and sustainable pest control method, which uses insect sex pheromones to prevent pest reproduction by disrupting their ability to attract mating partners. Mating Disruption is a scalable new solution for row crops, with 20-years of successful application in specialty crops. MD is a sustainable, non-toxic pest control method, which does not affect biodiversity, soil, or groundwater.
The key objectives of PHERA are to demonstrate cost-efficient production of three bio-based pheromones at full industrial scale and to demonstrate pheromone effectiveness for pest control and for sustainable increase of agricultural productivity in the field. The cost of pheromones has been a key barrier to the wide adoption of MD in row crops. Biological production of radically cheaper pheromones is a disruptive technology that will allow the application of pheromones for pest control in row crops.
PHERA will create a new value chain across biotech and ag-tech, and the consortium brings together all required expertise in biotech production and pheromone formulation and application. PHERA will create a new ag-tech business for MD solutions in row crop applications worth €640 million and 300 new jobs by 2027, and a long-term potential in excess of €2 billion. The new products developed in PHERA will have a substantial positive impact on the sustainability profile of large-scale row crop production.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- social sciences economics and business economics production economics productivity
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences atmospheric sciences climatology climatic changes
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.3.2. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.2.1.4. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Biotechnology
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H2020-EU.3.2.6. - Bio-based Industries Joint Technology Initiative (BBI-JTI)
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
IA - Innovation action
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-BBI-JTI-2019
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
2100 COPENHAGEN Ø
Denmark
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.