Luontopohjaiset ratkaisut kasvinterveyden hallintaan

Climate change causes challenges for Finnish agriculture; crops are threatened by new types of plant diseases as well as stressful growth conditions. At the same time, restrictions on the use of chemical pesticides are increasing. More information is needed on proactive pest control measures under different production conditions, including organic farming. Diverse and active soil and plant microbiota support the welfare and health of crops and are a prerequisite for productive agriculture. The beneficial effects of microbial communities are related to their ability to enhance plant nutrient intake, activate plant stress tolerance and defence functions, and prevent the growth and spread of plant pathogens.
The aim of the project is to make a survey that gathers information on ecological, nature-based solutions to protect plant health. Especially the goal is to find out how the composition and activity of the microbiome can be influenced to support crop welfare and health. In addition, information is collected on the means to activate the plant's own stress tolerance and defence
functions. A synthesis report will be compiled from the survey data together with project's stakeholders. The information acquired in the survey will be provided for farmers as well as for agricultural advisory and teaching organisations. The survey can be exploited in the development and implementation of new generation sustainable pest management solutions which can be applied to both integrated pest management (IPM) and organic farming