MED-BERRY - Developing new strategies to protect strawberry crop in the Mediterranean countries

1) Lack of breeding activities finalized to evaluate Mediterranean local germplasm and develop strawberry resistant varieties 2) The need to assess new breeding technologies (NBTs) with the objective to develop tools and protocols for developing intragenic resistant strawberry 3) Lack of new agrochemicals to control fungal diseases alternative to conventional fungicides and non toxic 4) Lack of knowledge on the socio-economic sustainability and acceptability of GMO-free biotech solutions proposed in Med-Berry

1) Screen well-adapted Mediterranean cultivated strawberry germplasm and breeding selections to identify resistances to major fungal diseases: grey mold, anthracnose, powdery mildew mildew and possibly to local disease. Generate new strawberry resistant varieties. 2) Develop constructs/ protocol/plants for inducing GMO free-gene-intragenic technology disease resistance in strawberry. Generate new intragenic resistant genotypes and identify risks and benefits of this technology 3) Develop new constructs/ protocols /products based on RNAi technology for inducing disease resistance in strawberry. These will be based both on RNAi resistant plants (HIGS) and on the development of RNAi resistance inducer products (SIGS). 4) To carefully evaluate the attitude of consumers towards Med-Berry new products and to provide important information on their acceptability.

1) Control of the effects of climate change and the associated risks for plant and animal health (including existing and emerging diseases, and adaptation of livestock systems) The new strawberry varieties and the intragenic varieties, adapted to Mediterranean climate and with resistance traits against fungal diseases, and the RNA i-based solutions, will allow to limit the risk of increase in infection rate and severity of fungal diseases due to climate change. 2) Provision of integrated pest and diseases control/management solutions, for plants and animal systems. The project will allow to develop innovative, sustainable, and safe protection management practices and strategies, easily adaptable to future phytosanitary emergencies 3) Impacts on human health and environment The decreased demand in fungicide treatments due to application of the Med-Berry innovation will crucially impact also on human health and environments, since new strawberry varieties produced with these technologies will be free or will have very few fungicide residues, harmful for both humans and soil and water bodies. 4) Impacts on economic growth and competitiveness Med-Berry innovations will have a direct impact on cultivation systems and in general on the organization of strawberry industry of the Mediterranean area also with the creation of new products that can be scaled up at industrial levels, by SMEs involved in the project or even by other new companies (Spin-off) created by the group. The improvement of cultivation efficiency and increased commercial value of the fruit derived from Med-Berry activities will help to overcome the labor problems associated to this crop, by achieving more efficient production and higher prices by added value. 4)Impacts on innovation capacity New intragenic protocols and tools will allow to acquire more knowledge on strawberry new gene and promoter function. This will readily prompt new research and open new possibilities of applications in different fruit crop related field, e.g. to enhance fruit productivity, provide drought stress tolerance, other abiotic stress tolerance etc.