- At the colloquium organized by BIOVEGEN, more than 250 researchers, companies, and operators from the horticultural sector participated.
- Experts analyzed the technological trends poised to lead a new technological revolution in the Spanish agricultural sector and warned against legislative decisions not based on scientific evidence.
“TECHNOLOGY ATTRACTION: the agriculture of the future” was the title of the BIOVEGEN colloquium held on October 24, 2018, dramatically led by the Málaga actress, María Segalerva, in which prestigious researchers and entrepreneurs shared their particular visions on the lines of work that are expected to lead a new technological revolution in the Spanish agricultural sector:
- The other uses of microorganisms, aquatic plants, and the new era approaching of agro-biological products as substitutes for chemicals.
- The revaluation of waste, once pollutants, now nutrients.
- The role of big data and the Internet of Things in precision agriculture.
- Artificial intelligence, yields, and pests, robotics.
- The potential of genomic editing as a driver for a new generation of crops with improved characteristics.
- Intensive agriculture in the horticultural sector.
The event took place at the Fruit Forum 6 during the celebration of the International Fair FRUIT ATTRACTION 2018 and included the presence of 250 attendees including researchers, representatives from agri-food companies, and operators from the horticultural sector. The colloquium served as a forum for debate and discussion on key technological themes for the future of agriculture and how to facilitate its implementation in the Spanish agri-sector, to stimulate the private sector’s interest in investing in R&D.
Conclusions
The session emphasized that the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) announced in July will not prevent CRISPR-edited plants from entering the EU, but they will all be imported. All the experts who participated in the colloquium considered the resolution as ‘a serious step back’, stressing that ‘in the end, it will be the consumers themselves who will demand explanations about why this brake on agricultural research in Europe is being imposed.’
Important advances in systems biology and genomics were also highlighted, which are contributing to “understanding and controlling the mechanisms that regulate plant production.” The identification of microbiota was noted to improve plants’ root capacity for nutrients – allowing for a reduction in fertilization with nitrates or phosphates – or the activation of immunization systems that enable plants to recognize pathogen molecules to trigger their natural defense mechanisms – thus minimizing the reliance on pesticides. Genetic improvement is enabling the expansion of “precision agriculture, which minimizes the use of fertilizers, herbicides, or insecticides,” reducing their contaminating effects on the soil or the problems of residues in fruits and vegetables. In this regard, Spanish companies’ R&D is well-positioned to develop a new era of agrobiological products that can replace chemical pesticides, non-contaminating fertilizers, or aquatic plants.
Artificial intelligence applied to agriculture was also a key player, showcasing experiences from big data applied to crop planning and precision agriculture. The latest agronomic trends were also analyzed, such as hyper-intensive agriculture and integrated pest management.
The event concluded with a roundtable discussion highlighting the role of the company as a driver of innovation, stating that “the company accelerates the development of research because it seeks solutions to real problems, not just generating knowledge, which usually does not have deadlines or urgency,” and as a developer of knowledge arising from research centers (“We don’t do science; we focus on completing proof of concept, validating that what is being worked on as a product truly has a market niche”).
The event called for the implementation of regulatory frameworks based on scientific and business criteria rather than political ones, in addition to requesting greater support for facilitating structures and the Science-Business connection. In this regard, BIOVEGEN presented the expanded version of its document “Analysis of the agri-food sector and proposals for improvement in R&D+i,” with the aim of facilitating the generation of projects and technological development based on public-private cooperation.
Gallery
Summary Video
Event Program
12:00 h. BIOVEGEN Colloquium: “TECHNOLOGY ATTRACTION: the agriculture of the future”
Moderator: María Segalerva. Actress and presenter
Participants:
- José Ignacio Cubero. Emeritus Professor – University of Córdoba
- Pablo Vera. Director – Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Plants (UPV-CSIC)
- Antonio Molina. Director – Center for Biotechnology and Plant Genomics (CBGP)
- Antonio Leyva. Principal Researcher – National Center for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC)
- Xana Belastegui.Chief Business Officer – IDEN BIOTECHNOLOGY
- Ricardo Arjona. Director – EC2CE
- Ángel del Pino. Director of Production and Development Department – ANECOOP
Open and Interactive Debate
1:45 PM. BIOVEGEN 2.0 Vision Document
Gonzaga Ruiz de Gauna. BIOVEGEN Coordinator
2:00 PM. Conclusions and Cocktail