Funding
This project has received funding from the European Union´s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 101021787 (project Freezing Bioprotector).
Project in brief
Freezing stress is one of the main limiting factors in fruit production worldwide, particularly in temperate regions. The use of natural plant-associated bacteria could be a promising approach against freezing damage. The goal of FreezingBioprotector is to enhance our understanding of the functional roles of plant-associated bacteria in cold stress tolerance of plants growing in alpine regions.
Objectives and research approach
- To characterise bacterial communities associated with wild cold-adapted plants.
- To identify novel bacterial strains by a rapid-throughput screening for their cold stress tolerance.
- To identify bacterial strains with freezing protection abilities on crop plants.
Impact
FreezingBioprotector will have scientific impacts on the deep characterization of bacterial contribution to cold tolerance of plants. This information could have positive impacts on society by increasing quality and quantity of fruit crops by improving freezing tolerance of plants using beneficial bacteria.
This project is in line with i) current commitment of the EU to reduce the use of chemical pesticides by promoting sustainable biological methods (Directive 2009/128/EC), to ensure food safety and protect ecosystem health, ii) policy areas within A European Green Deal, such as Sustainable Agriculture and the Farm to Fork Strategy, aiming to mitigate climate change with sustainable use of resources and food security and iii) challenges at the global level, as the project is expected to contribute to Climate Action by adapting to the impact of climate change by building resilience and reducing vulnerability to extreme weather events (freezing).
Freezing Bioprotector
Understanding the Role of Microbiome Interactions in the Freezing Stress Tolerance of Plants
Freezing stress is one of the main limiting factors in fruit production worldwide, particularly in temperate regions. For example, apple (Malus × domestica) flowers are the most vulnerable parts to freezing stress.