OP Biotech Project
Developing new tools to combat drought
The OP Biotech project aims to develop new biotechnological tools based on microorganisms, that act as a new strategy to mitigate abiotic stress in pistachio and olive trees.
The objective is improve crop resistance to drought and to ensure sustainable production, especially in contexts of water scarcity.
Put simply, the project's objective is to study the symbiotic effects of a selection of microorganisms that improve the plant's efficiency in absorbing water.
In this way, it is possible to ensure that, given the same amount of water, the plant that has these microscopic allies absorbs more from the soil and that it is not wasted through evapotranspiration or filtering to where the roots cannot reach.
This proposal is especially relevant for plots with low water resources or farms cultivated under dryland conditions, which in pistachio cultivation in Spain represent more than 70% of the total area dedicated to this crop.
There are symbiotic relationships where bacteria protect and promote water absorption by plant roots.
Specific objectives pursued by the project
To achieve this goal, the project has been structured around specific objectives. These specific objectives are the small milestones that must be met to reach the project's main objective.
The specific objectives into which this project is divided are:
Develop a selection of bacteria that improve drought resistance.
Develop products for foliar and soil application.
Evaluate the improvement in production after 1 year of use.
Develop large-scale production processes.
Evaluate the improvement in production after 3 years of use.
This methodology will allow the creation of a series of products applicable by different means and a large-scale production method that guarantees an economically accessible supply for all farmers.
A new future for dryland farms
In our specific case, we have dedicated a 70-hectare plot of dryland pistachio orchards to studying drought mitigation techniques. This plot is called Legacy and houses part of the OP Biotech project.
The name of this plot is no coincidence. The Legado plot was cultivated in 2023 with a single objective: to demonstrate that Farms dedicated to the extensive cultivation of dryland cereals can be converted to a woody crop with much higher added value, the pistachio.
This farm was cultivated using an intensive planting pattern of 6 x 3 m, and its harvest is expected when it reaches four years of age. Thanks to our field management and everything discovered in the OP Biotech project, we have been able to create something that we hope will outlive us. We have been able to create a new, much more profitable future for farms without access to irrigation in our country, which currently represent 76% of Spain's arable land.
We have dedicated more than 70 hectares to researching new solutions in the fight against drought.
Expected results of the project
In line with the specific objectives set, these are the results that are pursued with the development of this project
To determine the set of useful bacteria in contexts of water stress.
Create at least 2 products to bring innovation to farms.
To determine the increase in the quality of the final product after 1 year.
To know the increase in the quantity produced after 1 year.
To determine the increase in the quality of the final product after 3 years.
To know the increase in the amount produced after 3 years.
Define pre-industrial scale production processes.
Participants in the project
More information about the project
This initiative is supported by the CAP Strategic Plan, financed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
Total budget: 575.647,64 €.
% European co-financing: 80%.
Duration: 2024 the 2027.
The funding for this project comes from the section supporting the preparation and implementation of innovation projects of general interest by supra-regional operational groups of the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-Agri), within the framework of Spain's CAP Strategic Plan (PEPAC). If you would like to see the poster issued by the European Union for this project, you can do so by clicking here. click here..
If you wish to visit the project's official website, you can do so. by clicking on this link.
