JemsEnhancing wheat genetical resistance to FHB and grain yield in the era of precision agriculture (RES-Wheat)
Priority Axis 1: Cooperating for smarter programme area
Operation start date: 15 January 2026
Operation completion date: 14 January 2028
Budget: EUR 771.612,50
Number of partners: 3
Operation purpose and expected achievements:
The overall objective is to develop sustainable strategies for protecting wheat production from major fungal diseases, particularly Fusarium Head Blight (FHB). A specific objective is the integration of biostimulant applications and precision agriculture techniques to enhance knowledge transfer to farmers and other stakeholders, as well as to facilitate dissemination within the scientific community. This project will establish comprehensive guidelines for the exogenous application of biostimulants, assessing their benefits in mitigating biotic stress conditions such as FHB, and evaluating their impact on grain yield performance. Ultimately, the project aims to contribute to the sustainable management of FHB while reducing reliance on chemical pesticides. The application of precision agriculture will further optimise resource use, prevent unnecessary interventions, and enable data-driven, timely decision-making for effective disease control.
The main target groups of this project will include wheat farmers and producers, industry stakeholders, agricultural organisations, research institutions and technology providers specializing in sustainable agricultural solutions. The project will contribute to the transformation of the agricultural sector in the cross-border region, driving long-term improvements in economic and environmental sustainability and will support research and innovation activities that enhance ecological sustainability by reducing pesticide dependence, thereby contributing to a cleaner and healthier environment.
Beneficiaries:
The Agricultural Institute Osijek (HR), as Lead Partner in this project will bring extensive experience in conducting experiments and Fusarium testing under field conditions to the project, which is critical for the successful integration of novel agro-techniques in agriculture such as biostimulants and precision agriculture and will primary focus to offer wheat material developed at Agricultural Institute Osijek, make tests together with partner from Serbia, and to integrate innovations with phenotyping that will help to find novel resistance materials.
The University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Agriculture (RS) will contribute as supporting institution and primary goal would be following the procedure concerning field exams set by the lead partner. Integration of the proposed institutions with novel ways of phenotyping wheat will be main contribution. The primary focus and role will be on diligently adhering to the field exam procedures established by the lead partner and the core contribution will lie in integrating the proposed institutions with innovative wheat phenotyping methodologies.
The Foodscale Hub Association for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (RS) is responsible for communication, dissemination, outreach and ecosystem-building support, leveraging its expertise in accelerating technology-driven innovations within the agrifood sector. Beyond visibility, FSH will support the dissemination of project outputs, results and deliverables by facilitating engagement with the wider farming community. This includes ensuring the accessibility of RES-Wheat research outputs through various channels such as social media, traditional media, potentially scientific publications and participation in international conferences and events.
