SITINPLANT · Sustainable innovation technology in plant nursery process improving plant quality and safety

The quality of the plant material used to establish an orchard has a relevant importance for his success. Currently, in this sector, there is a widespread usage of chemical pesticides and of synthetic fertilizers, which are leading to the reduction of microflora complexity in the soil and decreasing the overall plant quality. There is the necessity of innovating plants’ production processes to produce plants more tolerant to common pathogens, and more efficient on using of natural soil resources in all phases of cultivation. The SITINPLANT project aims to work on these problems with te principal objective to improve the process in the fruit-growing nursery sector, based on a combined use of mycorrhizae and antagonist bio control microorganism for control disease incidence, and innovative micrografting technique. The final outcome of the developed process will be a mycorrhizzated and micrografted fruit tree, resistant to biotic and abiotic stress in nursery and orchard conditions. To achieve the project objectives, the following research targets will be carried out: * Development of the correct interaction methodology of mycorrhiza and antagonist bio control micro-organisms on controlling disease incidence and improving nutrient uptake in micrografting plants * Optimization of biotization techniques on rootstocks during their production in the micropropagation laboratory * Optimization of micrografting techniques * Optimization of growing techniques in the nursery of micrografted and mycorrizated plants * Implementation and testing of the innovated plant material in the different pedo-climatic conditions. The project positive impact will benefit the overall agriculture sector, as far as the productivity of the agriculture sector strongly depends on the quality of the plant after the nursery phase.