BIONÆR-Bionæringsprogram

The horticultural sector is a small but important part for agriculture in the Nordic and Baltic countries. However, the self-sufficiency level of fruits and berries is very low in the region; approximately 10% in Estonia and up to 30% in some of the other countries. One of the priorities of rural development plans is to increase local horticultural production, in accordance with the goals set by European Green Deal, which focuses on reducing the environmental footprint. Apple, strawberry, and blackcurrants are the most important horticultural crops for the region and will therefore be targeted in InNoBaHort. The first objective of the project is to decrease the use of applied fertilizers by introducing a novel energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence technique in parallel with plant sap analyses. By detecting exact nutrient needs, we anticipate achieving a 30% reduction in nitrogen use per hectare in strawberry. Developing and introducing disease forecasting models and low-risk biological alternatives will be the foundation for the second objective, to decrease the number of synthetic fungicide sprays in horticultural crops. The main attention will be on developing new forecasting systems for European canker in apple and Mycosphaerella leaf spot in black currants. For apple scab and grey mould of strawberry, the Norwegian team will transfer knowledge from existing forecasting systems to Estonia and Lithuania. The antifungal effect of different plant extracts on grey mould in strawberry will be evaluated in Lithuania. The third objective of the project is to make a quantum loop in breeding of new apple cultivars with high levels of resistance to canker. Different resistance components in old and new cultivars and promising breeding selections will be evaluated. There will be screening of Swedish, Norwegian, and Estonian apple cultivars, with an emphasis on Estonian germplasm, which has not been evaluated for canker susceptibility.

Apple, strawberry, and blackcurrants are the most important horticultural crops for the Nordic-Baltic region and will therefore be targeted in InNoBaHort. The first objective of the project is to decrease the use of applied fertilizers by introducing a novel energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence technique in parallel with plant sap analyses. By detecting exact nutrient needs, we anticipate achieving a 30% reduction in nitrogen use per hectare in strawberry. Developing and introducing disease forecasting models and low-risk biological alternatives will be the foundation for the second objective, to decrease the number of synthetic fungicide sprays in horticultural crops. The main attention will be on developing new forecasting systems for European canker in apple and Mycosphaerella leaf spot in black currants. For apple scab and grey mould of strawberry, the Norwegian team will transfer knowledge from existing forecasting systems to Estonia and Lithuania. The antifungal effect of different plant extracts on grey mould in strawberry will be evaluated in Lithuania. The third objective of the project is to make a quantum loop in breeding of new apple cultivars with high levels of resistance to canker. Available chemical or biological measures against European canker are not sufficiently effective, and more use of resistant cultivars would significantly improve growers’ economy. Different resistance components in old and new cultivars and promising breeding selections will be evaluated. There will be screening of Swedish, Norwegian, and Estonian apple cultivars, with an emphasis on Estonian germplasm, which has not been evaluated for canker susceptibility.