Project description
New partnership to slash crop losses
Crop losses due to fungal and mycotoxin contamination have become a pervasive threat, endangering food security and profitability. However, a game-changing solution is on the horizon. The EU-funded MyToolBox project will mobilise a diverse partnership, including academia, farmers, technology SMEs, food industry experts and policy stakeholders, with the mission to slash crop losses by as much as 90 %. Specifically, the project will adopt a holistic approach, encompassing pre- and post-harvest interventions, genetic resistance research, predictive models and innovative technologies. Expanding beyond prevention, this initiative will address safe utilisation options for contaminated batches. Overall, MyToolBox represents a beacon of hope in the fight against fungal and mycotoxin contamination, ensuring a more resilient and sustainable future for agriculture.
Objective
MyToolBox mobilises a multi-actor partnership (academia, farmers, technology SMEs, food industry and policy stakeholders) to develop novel interventions aimed at achieving a 20-90% reduction in crop losses due to fungal and mycotoxin contamination. MyToolBox will not only pursue a field-to-fork approach but will also consider safe use options of contaminated batches, such as the efficient production of biofuels. A major component of MyToolBox, which also distinguishes this proposal from previous efforts in the area mycotoxin reduction, is to provide the recommended measures to the end users along the food and feed chain in a web-based Toolbox. Cutting edge research will result in new interventions, which will be integrated together with existing measures in the Toolbox that will guide the end user as to the most effective measure(s) to be taken to reduce crop losses. We will focus on small grain cereals, maize, peanuts and dried figs, applicable to agricultural conditions in EU and China. Crop losses using existing practices will be compared with crop losses after novel pre-harvest interventions including investigation of genetic resistance to fungal infection, cultural control, the use of novel biopesticides (organic-farming compliant), competitive biocontrol treatment and development of forecasting models to predict mycotoxin contamination. Research into post-harvest measures including real-time monitoring during storage, innovative sorting of crops using vision-technology and novel milling technology will enable cereals with higher mycotoxin levels to be processed without breaching regulatory limits in finished products. Research into the effects of baking on mycotoxin levels will provide better understanding of process factors used in mycotoxin risk assessment. Involvement of leading institutions from China are aimed at establishing a sustainable cooperation in mycotoxin research between the EU and China.
Fields of science
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencesinfectious diseases
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
- engineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybiomaterialsbiofuels
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsenzymes
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturegrains and oilseedscereals
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
1180 Wien
Austria
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Participants (23)
6708 PB Wageningen
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1010 Wien
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TF10 8NB Newport
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06800 ANKARA
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
43122 Parma
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MK43 0AL Cranfield - Bedfordshire
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08940 CORNELLA DE LLOBREGAT
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
21000 Novi Sad
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29122 PIACENZA
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
10589 Berlin
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Participation ended
32260 Isparta
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6708 PB Wageningen
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1430 Aas
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100193 Beijing
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3131 Getzersdorf Bei Traismauer
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100037 Beijing
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68165 Mannheim
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25003 Lleida
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
80400 Vyriv
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izmir
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
21220 Becej
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
100081 HAIDIAN BEIJING
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8074 Raaba
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.