OPTIMUS PRIME pursues the use of bioresources (including natural compounds and soil microorganisms) as seed priming treatments to improve resilience of widespread commercial varieties and local adapted landraces of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. Mill) to the combination of water deficit, high temperatures and the incidence of two important tomato pests. Specifically, OPTIMUS PRIME will investigate i) the priming effect of different natural products and biological (AMF and PGPB) agent combinations against the concurrent incidence of high temperatures, water deficit and attack of Tuta absoluta and Tetranychus evansi on commercial tomato genotypes and local landraces and its validation under field conditions, ii) the generation of biodegradable polymer seed coatings integrating these priming agents and, finally, iii) the technical and economic viability of batch production of coated tomato seeds.
Project leader: Raffaella Maria Balestrini
IPSP personnel: Cecilia Brunetti, Fabiano Sillo, Elisa Zampieri
Start: 01/06/2021
End: 31/05/2024