Programme title: Deciphering the molecular mechanisms induced by rhizobacteria against plant viral pathogens Funding Source: Hellenic Foundation for Research & Innovation (HFRI) - National Recovery and Resilience Plan Greece 2.0, funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU Coordinator of the project: Benaki Phytopathological Institute Funding amount: 100% Start Date: 1/3/2022 End Date: 31/12/2025 Duration: 1 year & 10 months The project with acronym “RhizoVir” is implemented with the participation of BPI as a coordinator and financed by 100% of the Hellenic Foundation for Research & Innovation (HFRI) within the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan Greece 2.0, funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU. The project aims to: • Evaluate the putative antiviral effect of two Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPRs) against three economical important viral pathogens, namely tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) and potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd). • Characterize at the molecular level the tomato plant defense mechanism induced by each of the two PGPRs. • Characterize at molecular level the early defense responses of the tomato plants against each viral pathogen. • Identify key steps specific for the plant molecular defense response induced by each of the PGPRs during the early stages of viral invasion by each tested virus. • Suggest molecular markers for the prediction of the ability of a PGPR to induce an antiviral defense mechanism. Website: - Participants: - Project Manager BPI: Dr Despoina Beris
Programme title: Novel digital tools for weed mapping and sustainable use of herbicides in rice Funding Source: Hellenic Foundation for Research & Innovation (HFRI) Coordinator of the project: Benaki Phytopathological Institute Funding amount: 100% Start Date: 1/12/2023 End Date: 1/12/2025 Duration: 12 years The project with acronym «ARTs» is implemented with the participation of BPI as a coordinator and is 100% financed by the Hellenic Foundation for Research & Innovation. Arts aims to control weed through digital tools that are part of smart agriculture and the correct application of herbicides. In the cultivation of rice, a reduced effectiveness of herbicides has been noted against resistant weeds such as Oryza sativa, Cyperus difformis, Echninochloa spp. This has often as a result the development of resistant weed biotypes which often leads to the application of high doses of herbicides, causing both economic and environmental impacts. Through the project, the recording and spatial mapping of the spread of the resistance of the above weeds to herbicides will be carried out in the most important zone of rice cultivation, in Chalastra, Thessaloniki. Furthermore, a decision-making tool will be created to manage the spread of resistance phenomena in our country. Website: - Participants: Hellenic Agricultural Organization - DIMITRA Project Manager BPI: Dr Dimosthenis Chachalis