All the news

• New focus on mixed farming systems
  

  A couple of relatively new Horizon 2020 projects are now up and running and paving the way for more resilient, efficient and sustainable agriculture in Europe. As its name suggests, the MIXED project is exploring different types of mixed agricultural systems, such as agroforestry, in the belief that these approaches offer many benefits. Meanwhile, AGROMIX is bringing together researchers, farmers and policymakers to explore the transition towards resilient farming, efficient land use, and sustainable agricultural value chains in Europe.

• BreedingValue launches berry calls
  

  BreedingValue has launched the first of its Open Calls for proposals, a mechanism through which it is seeking to transfer funding and knowledge from the project to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the field of berry breeding.

• How grapevine downy mildew travelled the world
  

  Hopes have been raised of efficient breeding for grapevines resistant to downy mildew, alongside the better design of quarantine regulations, following the work of French scientists who have unpicked the arrival of the North American disease in Europe and its subsequent spread around the world.

• COCOREADO website goes live
  

  The COCOREADO website has now gone live, giving internet users the opportunity to learn more about the Horizon 2020 project which will be “connecting consumers and producers to rebalance farmers’ position”.

• CABI launches new invasives website
  

  CABI has launched a new easy-to-use website dedicated to taking action against invasive species. The website is designed to help users learn more about the “devastating economic, environmental and social impacts invasive species have and what we can do to manage them.”

• Agroecology ‘helps tackle zoonoses’
  

  In addition to its better known advantages, taking an agroecological approach to crop protection can reduce the risk of the emergence of viral zoonoses, according to a study published by CIRAD researchers in the Science of the Total Environment journal.

• Weed threat ‘greater than ever’
  

  A combination of factors means that crops are now more vulnerable to weeds than before the introduction of herbicides, according to a UK study. Researchers have exploited data from the world’s longest-running agricultural experiment, Rothamsted Research’s Broadbalk wheat trial, to highlight the threat posed by weeds.

• Diverfarming: Latest newsletter now available
  

  The latest newsletter from the Horizon 2020 Diverfarming project is now available. The project is seeking a major shift in European agriculture through crop diversification and a rational use of resources and, accordingly, the newsletter brings readers up to date with the concrete steps taken in some of its work across six countries.

• 2021 Joint Call: Circularity and climate change
  

  A total of around €16 million has been provisionally reserved for the 2021 Joint Call from four ERA-NETs. ERA-NETs aim to increase substantially the share of funding that Member States dedicate jointly to challenge-driven research and innovation agendas and this year’s call addresses ‘Circularity in mixed crops and livestock farming systems with emphasis on climate change mitigation and adaptation’.

• Key intercropping event: March 23
  

  The final conference of the ReMIX project is to be held online this month. A joint effort from the ReMIX and DIVERSify projects, ‘Intercropping to boost agroecology in European agriculture’ will run from 09:15 to 16:45 on March 23.