COST European Cooperation in Science and Technology Introduction to the COST Framework Programme COST is supported by the EU Framework Programme ESF provides the COST Office through a European Commission contract
Added value and impact of participating in a COST Action Katja Žanić, COST Action FA 1204, Institute for Adratic Crops (IAC), Split, Croatia 2
COST Action FA 1204 - Outline Name: Vegetable Grafting to Improve Yield and Fruit Quality under Biotic and Abiotic Stress Conditions Start date: 01/10/2012 End date: 30/09/2016 Chair: Prof. Giuseppe Colla University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy http://www.vegetablegrafting.unitus.it 3
1. COST FA 1204 Action presentation Scientific concept (background) Cucurbits and solanaceous crops are frequently cultivated under unfavorable environmental conditions. Grafting represents a practical tool to reduce the losses in production caused by adverse conditions. Main objective The Action promotes advanced knowledge gathering and exchanging through a multidisciplinary network of partners in order to understand how rootstock-mediated traits can improve vegetable crop yield and quality under (a)biotic adverse conditions.
1. COST FA 1204 Action presentation Specific objectives: Identify germplasm available and ongoing breeding programs Define root-shoot signaling and grafting compatibility Determine root-shoot interaction under (a)biotic stresses Identify effects of rootstocks on fruit quality Create an international database Transfer available knowledge into the practice Identify particular topics for new research projects
1. COST FA 1204 Action presentation Foreseen scientific, technological, and/or socio-economic impacts Establishment of collaborations between scientists, public research institutions and private sector (seed companies, nurseries, vegetable grower associations) through the organization of meetings, STSMs, training schools, research projects, and website. Impact: Scientific/ technological; Achieved within 2 years. Identification of the utility of grafted plants in different European vegetable production areas with particular emphasis on how grafted plants can ameliorate the efficiency of resource use, yield stability under changing environmental conditions, the quality of rural life reducing the needs of chemical. Impact: Scientific/ technological, Economic, Societal; Timing: foreseen 5-10 years.
Action Parties 1. COST FA 1204 Action presentation 25 2016 20 15 10 5 0 22 COST countries COST Near Neighbour Countries (NNC) 2 2 COST International Partner Countries (IPC)
Management structure 1. COST FA 1204 Action presentation Management Committee http://www.cost.eu/cost_actions/fa/fa1204?management MC Chair: Prof. Giuseppe Colla (IT) MC Vice Chair: Dr. Francisco Perez Alfocea (ES) 40 40 35 30 Structure 2016. 25 20 15 14 10 5 0 MC Members MC Substitute MC Observer NNC 2 4 MC Observer IPC
1. COST FA 1204 Action presentation Management structure Working groups WG1 - Genetic resources and rootstock breeding Leader: Andrew J. Thompson, Cranfield University, UK WG2 - Rootstock-scion interactions and graft compatibility Leader: Jan Henk Venema, University of Groningen, The Netherlands WG3 - Rootstock-mediated resistance to (a)biotic stresses Leader: Dietmar Schwarz, Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, Germany WG4 - Rootstock-mediated improvement of fruit quality Leader: Cherubino Leonardi, University of Catania, Italy
1. COST FA 1204 Action presentation Management structure STSM STSM Coordinator Prof. Dimitrios Savvas Agricultural University of Athens, Greece Email: dsavvas@aua.gr 14 STSM postions were realized till 31 July 2015 http://www.vegetablegrafting.unitus.it/index.php/projects.html
1. COST FA 1204 Action presentation Other COST Instruments Activity 2013-2016 1. 1 MC/WG Meetings st Meeting (MC-WGs), 11-12 March 2013, Agricultural University of Athens (AUA), Greece 2. 1 st Annual Conference - 1 st Rootopower Workshop, 12-14 November 2013 Murcia, Spain 3. Steering Committee + WGs Meeting, 10-12 February 2014, Jerusalem, Israel 4. 2 nd COST Action FA1204 Annual Conference, 20-22 October 2014, Carcavelos, Portugal 5. Steering Committee + WGs Meeting, 2-4 March 2015, Antalya, Turkey 6. 3 rd Annual Conference Vegetable Grafting and the Rhizosphere, 14-17 September 2015, Berlin, Germany 7. Core Working Groups Meeting and Steering Committee Meeting, 18-19 April 2016, Bleiswijk, The Netherlands 8. COST FA-1204 Final Conference, 19-21 September 2016, Pula, Croatia Workshops or Conferences 5 Training Schools 1 st Training school on Vegetable grafting, 23 26 September 2014, Catania, Italy 2 nd Training school on Vegetable grafting, 19-21 April 2016, Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture, Bleiswijk, The Netherlands
2. COST FA1204 networking activities Added value of networking The members of the COST action cover different disciplines: breeding, genetics, physiology, molecular biology, biotechnology, plant pathology, agronomy, and food science. The different expertise are fundamental for realising added values in the field of vegetable grafting. Two Action proposals on vegetable grafting were submitted: Horizon 2020 Topic: SFS-05-2015; Proposal no. 678910-2; After 2 nd step of evaluation - not funded. FACCE-ERA-NET Exploring novel Cucurbit germplasm for rational rootstock breeding under a changing climate - did not pass the 1 st step of evaluation. The collaborations among scientists with exchange of germplasm for studding scionrootstock interaction and for developing new rootstocks has been allowed. STSMs have allowed establishment of cooperation among COST Action participants fostering the achievement of WG goals. Many results arising from cooperation among COST participants have been published in scientific journals (8 in WoS till 2015).
2. COST FA1204 networking activities Added value of networking & Good practice examples The COST Action network permitted the establishment of a team of skilled trainers and the organization of a training schools. Two Schools use the triangle of experience: breeding companies, nurseries and university researchers to transfer the knowledge and skills to participants. 1 st Training school on Vegetable grafting, 23 26 September 2014, Catania, Italy - Research: University of Catania; Italy - Seed companies: Rijk Zwaan (NL) & Enza Zaden (NL) - Nursery: Centro Seia, Italy 2 nd Training school on Vegetable grafting, 19 21 April 2016, NL - Research: University of Groningen & Wageningen UR (NL) - Seed companies: Enza Zaden (NL) - Nursery: International nursery Grow Group Additionaly, interactions between breeding companies/nurseries and academic researchers have increased and permitted the understanding of the commercially most important trait to target in rootstock breeding programs.
2. COST FA1204 networking activities Personal experience as participant in the Action MC & WG 5 meetings (2013 2016) 1. 1 st Meeting (MC-WGs), 11-12 March 2013, Agricultural University of Athens (AUA), Greece 2. 1 st Annual Conference - 1 st Rootopower Workshop, 12-14 November 2013 Murcia, Spain 3. 2 nd COST Action FA1204 Annual Conference, 20-22 October 2014, Carcavelos, Portugal 4. 3 rd Annual Conference Vegetable Grafting and the Rhizosphere, 14-17 September 2015, Berlin, Germany 5. Core Working Groups Meeting and Steering Committee Meeting, 18-19 April 2016, Bleiswijk, The Netherlands Research presentations Lecture as speeker 2 Lecture as coauthor 1 Poster 1
2. COST FA1204 networking activities Personal (IAC) experience as participant in the Action Collaboration with COST FA 1204 members: Leader of WG3 Dr. Dietmar Schwarz (Leibniz Institute for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, Großbeeren, Germany) is engaged as konsultant on national scientific project Tomato grafting mitigates biotic stress caused by whiteflies - in compliance with the COST Action; funded by Croatian Science foundation (2015 2018), PI: K. Žanić. STSM used by IAC members Dr. Gabriela Vuletin Selak completed the STSM-a (FA1204-230315-055367) titled Assessing the properties of the photosynthetic apparatus in grafted plants under abiotic stress by chlorophyll fluorescence imaging (2015). o Host institution:instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), Departamento de Horticultura, Valencia, Spain. o Supervizor: Dr. Angeles Calatayud. Training school - used by IAC members Dr. Branimir Urlić finished the training 1 st Training school on Vegetable grafting, 23-26 September 2014, Catania, Italy and become the member of COST FA 1204 WG3 member
2. COST FA1204 networking activities Personal (IAC) experience as participant in the Action COST FA-1204 Final Conference 19 th -21 st September 2016, Pula, Croatia Institute of Agriculture and Tourism, smilja@iptpo.hr Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation, katja@krs.hr
COST FA 1204 Thank you for your attention!