Project: A sustainable mixed cropping-beekeeping system in the Mediterranean basin
| Acronym | PLANT-B |
| Duration | 01/10/2019 - 31/12/2021 |
| Project Topic | Introduction of honeybee (HB) hives at flowering in citrus groves remains the most consistent, effective and economical means of ensuring adequate yields in citrus and a common practice to exploit a very important resource for beekeeping. Therefore, plant protection activities affect the final product of the crop (fruit) and HBs (honey). PLANT-B proposal aspires to improve sustainability and agronomic return of Mediterranean citrus agroecosystem and beekeeping combining them in a mixed farming system ‘citrus-aromatic/medicinal plants-HBs’, through certain objectives: a) provide new IPM tools against crop & HB pests, b) valorisation of well-adapted endemic HB subspecies to Med conditions with potential of resistance to major HB pests, c) develoSMEnt and optimization of the proposed farming system in the Med region, d) improvement of quality/safety traceability in honey produce, e) ascertain environmental and socio-economic sustainability of the new farming system, f) promotion of the new product(s). PLANT-B objectives will be achieved by: i) producing innovation (new IPM tools/strategies for citrus & HBs, conservation of endemic HB subspecies resistant to HB pests, determination of honey quality/safety/traceability); ii) testing our hypothesis in several case studies across the Med basin and assessing their environmental & socio-economic sustainability; iii) organising dissemination activities to spread new knowledge to the agricultural main actors and to the public. The project topic is strongly related to the RIA Call-Topic 2 as it conforms the main relevant challenge by the develoSMEnt of a diversified farming system citrus/AMPs in combination with apiculture, which makes best use of resources (agricultural land, low pesticide input, endemic HB subspecies best suited to Med conditions, enhancement of pollination & biocontrol) and is expected to improve quality, safety & security of citrus fruit and honey produce and to increase farmers’ and beekeepers’ income. |
| Website | visit project website |
| Network | PRIMA |
| Call | Section 1 Call 2018 - Farming Systems |
Project partner
| Number | Name | Role | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Institute of Agronomic Research of Algeria | Partner | Algeria |
| 2 | Benaki Phytopathological Institute | Coordinator | Greece |
| 3 | University of M'Hamed Bougara | Partner | Algeria |
| 4 | The Agricultural Research Centre-Egypt | Partner | Egypt |
| 5 | North South Consultants Exchange | Partner | Egypt |
| 6 | National Institute of Agronomic Research | Partner | France |
| 7 | Stayia Farm | Partner | Greece |
| 8 | University of Tuscia | Partner | Italy |
| 9 | NATIONAL CONSORTIUM BEE PRODUCERS | Partner | Italy |
| 10 | Jaume I University | Partner | Spain |