The MUSA project (UE Call H2020-SFS-2016-2017, Sustainable Food Security – Resilient and resource-efficient value chains, topic SFS-11-2016) aims at achieving a sustainable intensification of banana and ensete cultivation in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Canary Islands and the Caribbean, through the identification, development and implementation of IPM methods based on beneficial microorganisms. The Project proposes the use of microbial consortia and banana germplasm, studying the phenotypic and molecular reactions of plants to different biotic stresses (phytoparasitic nematodes, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense and Cosmopolites spp.). The results include data obtained by screening, testing and field evaluations of selected lines to identify the genes involved in the resistant and/or tolerant response and in the interaction with beneficial microorganisms such as endophytes and biocontrol agents.
Project leader: Aurelio Ciancio
IPSP personnel: Aurelio Ciancio, Giovanni Bubici, Isabella Pentimone, Laura Rosso, Mariantonietta Colagiero, Livia Stavolone, Fabrizio Cillo
Start: 01/06/2017
End: 30/11/2021