ADAPT identifies molecular mechanisms of adaptation to combined stress in potato to develop new strategies for the improvement of productivity, yield stability and product quality under multiple stress conditions. Potato is one of the most important food crops worldwide and a major constraint to secure yield is its sensitivity to environmental stresses, particularly heat and drought, which is often followed by flooding in the field. Whilst limited knowledge of combined stress signalling pathways is available in model plants such as Arabidopsis, this knowledge is almost completely lacking in crops. These adaptation mechanisms require metabolic reprogramming that is triggered by different signalling pathways. To understand the dynamics of complex signalling and response mechanisms our approach will utilise several technological advances (for example high throughput phenotyping and novel sensor plants). These tools will guide us to the key developmental stages and tissues for in depth analysis allowing unprecedented dissection of these processes. The approach requires complementary expertise from 10 leading academic research institutions with 4 major potato breeders, and a screening technology developer. This unique combination of molecular biology, stress physiology, systems biology and analytics with engineering and molecular breeding as well as the active participation of end-user driven agencies for variety testing and potato trading ensure translation of ADAPT results. Arising from our mechanistic understanding, our expected results will include new breeding targets and the potential to match potato varieties to specific environmental conditions. Knowledge from our research will directly reach the most relevant stakeholders and end-users feeding into breeding programmes and guiding technology development for improved crop management strategies. Thus we anticipate that ADAPT will have a game changing impact on potato breeding and management strategies.

The Solanaceae family, encompassing economically significant genera like Solanum, plays a vital role in global agriculture, particularly through crops. The Solanaceae family, encompassing economically significant genera like Solanum, plays a vital role in global agriculture, particularly through crops like potatoes and tomatoes. These crops, crucial for human consumption and nutrition, face significant threats from pest diseases, with annual losses amounting to billions of euros. Notably, the bacteria Clavibacter sepedonicus – Cs (ring rot in potato) and Ralstonia solanacearum - Rs (bacterial wilt in potato and tomato) pose severe economic and environmental risks, warranting stringent regulatory measures in EU and globally being included in Part B Annex of the Regulation 2019/2072 and are classified as EPPO A2 quarantine pests. In response, the POMATO project aims to safeguard potato and tomato health by focusing on four key pillars: isolation and molecular characterization of resistance genes of potato and tomato native and wild varieties against Cs and Rs, early detection using advanced technologies like AI and digital predictive platforms, development of natural bio-control solutions, and field validation at TRL 5 of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies. This collaborative 48-month initiative involves a multi-actor approach of the potato/tomato value chain, including academic research institutions, agrochemical companies, farmers, and international partners from affected regions like Latin America. By leveraging expertise and resources, POMATO seeks to mitigate the spread of these quarantine pests and enhance food security sustainably by aiming to decrease between 40-60% the incidence of Cs/Rs. Sharing IPM POMATO’s strategies among relevant stakeholders in the policy and decision-making cycle will ensure economic sustainability of EU potato/tomato production, increase farm competitiveness as well as replicate the outcomes of the project to other crops.

Potato is a key crop in Europe (€12.4 billion, 2020). However, it is considered vulnerable to a variety of pests and soil-borne pathogen diseases. One of the most important pests is caused by bacteria Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (CLso), causing a disease known as zebra chip (ZC). The introduction of CLso bacterium on potato is mainly linked to the presence of the vector psyllid Bactericera cockerelli (BC) causing severe damage, both in terms of yield losses and quality. Main potato postharvest diseases as dry rot, black dot and silver scurf, are caused by soil-borne pathogens that have incidence in both field and storage. All these potential threats may result. in significant economic losses in the potato industry and food losses. The European regulatory framework for potato’s imports and production is very strict. However, globalisation, climate change, economical drivers, as well as the political context (EU Green Deal target of 50% pesticides reduction) are threatening the entrance of emerging potato pests and the incidence of soil-borne pathogen disease in postharvest storage. PataFEST and its 18 complementary partners, including the international cooperation with Ecuador, aims: 1) to characterise at molecular level the ecological pest spread pathway and identify potato disease resistance varieties against CLso and postharvest pathogens, 2) provide effective preharvest plant and soil treatments against CLso vector and soil-borne pathogens combined with other cutting-edge digital technologies such as image analysis tools (mobile app) and artificial intelligence predictive models; 3) develop postharvest technologies (biocontrol coating solution, controlled atmosphere storage and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) sensors) to control the incidence of soil pathogens and maintain the quality of potato tubers stored. These strategies and technologies will be incorporated into an Integrated Pest Management approach to evaluate their performance at final TRL5.

The WASTELESS project will develop and test a mix of innovative tools and methodologies for Food Loss and Waste (FLW) measurement and monitoring. A bottom-up approach will be followed: starting from defining an harmonised methodological framework and set of standards for the testing activities, the evaluation of the tools implementation and the quality and integrability of the data produced in other frameworks and finally recommend sustainable policies and business strategies to set the ground for a harmonised Framework at EU level. Additionally to the measurement and monitoring tools, WASTELESS will carry research activities on innovative processes and streams to valorise unavoidable FLW. With the ambition to make existing FLW quantification solutions and WASTELESS ones usable by all food actors, it will be developed a Decision Support Toolbox for any stakeholders to access to the most appropriate methodology, digital tools and solutions for FLW valorisation all that aggregated with the Environmental and Socio-Economic impact associated to the implementation of the solutions. This will enable the replication of data collection hubs accross Europe feeding the model developed by JRC with robust, reliable and comparable FLW data.