H2020 PHERA Project: PHeromones for row crop applications
- Type Project
- Status Filled
- Execution 2020 -2023
- Assigned Budget 6.402.164,00 €
- Scope Europeo
- Main source of financing H2020
- Project website PHERA
Global population growth means farmers around the world need to increase agricultural production. However, pests remain a problem. EU scientists are moving away from current methods, such as chemical insecticides and genetically modified crops, which are unsustainable. The EU-funded PHERA project is developing a new, effective, affordable, and sustainable pest control method that uses insect sex pheromones to prevent pest reproduction by disrupting their ability to attract mates.
The mating disruption (MD) method, which has been widely used in specialty crops, does not affect biodiversity, soil, or groundwater. PHERA is developing the biological production of radically more economical pheromones that will ultimately enable the application of MD for pest control in row crops. By 2027, PHERA plans to have established a new agtech company for MD solutions in row crop applications worth €640 million and creating 300 new jobs.
Agricultural productivity must increase by 70% by 2050 to provide sufficient food for the growing population on a limited amount of land and water, while climate change and the emergence of insect resistance make pest control increasingly difficult. Current (overused) tools—chemical insecticides and genetically modified crops—are unsustainable, and most alternative biological solutions are not feasible for large-scale row-crop agriculture due to their high cost, complicated application methods, and inconsistent performance.
Mating disruption (MD) is an effective, affordable, and sustainable pest control method that uses insect sex pheromones to prevent pest reproduction by disrupting their ability to attract mating partners. Mating Disruption is a novel, scalable solution for row crops, with 20 years of successful application in specialty crops. MD is a sustainable, non-toxic pest control method that does not impact biodiversity, soil, or groundwater. The key objectives of PHERA are to demonstrate the cost-effective production of three bio-based pheromones at full industrial scale and to demonstrate the efficacy of pheromones for pest control and for sustainably increasing agricultural productivity in the field.
The cost of pheromones has been a key barrier to widespread adoption of MD in row crops. The biological production of radically cheaper pheromones is a disruptive technology that will enable the application of pheromones for pest control in row crops. PHERA will create a new value chain in biotechnology and agtech, and the consortium brings together all the necessary expertise in biotechnology production and pheromone formulation and application. PHERA will create a new agtech business for MD solutions in row crop applications worth €640 million and 300 new jobs by 2027, with a long-term potential of over €2 billion. The new products developed at PHERA will have a substantial positive impact on the sustainability profile of large-scale row crop production.
- BIOPHERO APS
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