Biodiversity Friendly Practices in Agriculture – Breeding for Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

In line with the objectives of the European Green Deal, the EU Climate Policy, EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 and the farm to fork strategy, a successful proposal will contribute to the transition to more sustainable practices in agriculture by reducing the need for external inputs, notably chemical pesticides^[1], and support biodiversity in agroecosystems.

Projects are expected to contribute to all of the following outcomes:

• Enhanced knowledge of relevant traits for resistance and/or tolerance (resilience) to biotic stresses;
• Enlarged availability and access to plant varieties which can better cope with increased pest and diseases pressure;
• Increased knowledge, knowledge transfer, and capacity of farmers and agricultural advisers to implement Integrated Pest Management with plant varieties that can better cope with plant pests and that are adapted to the local environmental and pedo-climatic conditions (e.g., terroir effects, soil health status, local disease pressures, positive interactions with biological control) and farming practices (e.g., intercropping, crop rotation, carbon farming).

The European Green Deal has set ambitious targets to reduce by 2030 the use and the risk of chemical pesticides and fertilisers, reduce nutrient losses and increase organic farming^[2]. Plant breeders need to consider more systematically characteristics that respond to these demands and contribute to crop resilience and adaptation, particularly to increasing biotic and abiotic stresses, in particular in the context of climate change.

Breeding for integrated pest management (IPM) aims to boost the development of plant varieties with tolerance of or resistance to relevant pest(s)^[3] and diseases, adapted to local environmental and pedo-climatic conditions, and diversification approaches with the goal of reducing reliance on chemical pesticides.

Proposals should:

• Contribute to a better understanding of crop-specific genetic characteristics and crop-environment management (GxExM) interactions underpinning tolerance to pest pressure;
• Identify useful traits/combination of traits and progress in the development of plant varieties with increased resistance or tolerance to plant pests and adapted to local conditions;
• Embark in breeding activities for pest-tolerant or pest-resistant varieties making use of all type of breeding approaches and allow for participatory breeding with involvement of farmers;
• Promote the deployment of resistant plant varieties in combination with the range of tools available for integrated pest management such as crop diversification, soil and crop management (e.g., crop residue management), biological control agents (e.g., micro- and macro-organisms), the preservation and enhancement of natural enemies of plant pests (e.g., beneficial insects/mites/nematodes/antagonistic, symbiont microorganisms, beneficial endophytes);
• Support capacity building, training and education enabling farmers/growers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices in pest management following the integration of tolerant plant varieties;
• Increase general awareness of the benefits of IPM and the adoption of resistant plant varieties for consumers and in the value change.

Proposals must implement the 'multi-actor approach' and ensure adequate involvement of researchers, the breeding sector, farmers, advisors and other relevant actors of the value chain. The topic is open to all types of farming systems (e.g., arable farming, horticulture, fruit trees). Proposals should cover various biogeographical regions^[4] with a balanced coverage reflecting the various pedo-climatic zones in Europe in a representative way. Result of activities should benefit both conventional and organic farming.

Proposals should specify how they plan to collaborate with other proposals selected under this and other relevant topics, for example by undertaking joint activities, workshops or common communication and dissemination activities. Proposals should allocate the necessary resources to cover these activities.

[1] The farm to fork strategy sets the target to reduce by 50% the overall use and risk of chemical pesticides and reduce use by 50% of more hazardous pesticides

[2] European Green Deal farm to fork and biodiversity strategies with 2030 targets: reduce by 50% the overall use and risk of chemical pesticides and reduce use by 50% of more hazardous pesticides; reduce nutrient losses by at least 50% while ensuring no deterioration in soil fertility; reduce the use of fertilisers by at least 20%; achieve at least 25% of the EU’s agricultural land under organic farming.

[3] A pest is defined here as any species, strain or biotype of plant, animal or pathogenic agent injurious to plants or plant products (EU legislation, Regulation 2016/2031)

[4]https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/figures/biogeographical-regions-in-europe-2