Italy and Austria together for a sustainable agro-ecosystem

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, 19 MAR - The Interreg Italy-Austria project "Cedric—Creating a sustainable, cross-border agroecosystem involving by exploiting the biodiversity of the root microbiome," for which Trieste's ICGEB is the lead partner, aims to strengthen the microbiological biodiversity of areas and soils characterized by a scarce or altered microbial ecosystem.
    Inspired by the success of human microbiome transplantation, the project aims to transplant healthy plant root microbiomes into poor and exploited soils to affect soil structure, microbiology, nutrient density, and overall soil carbon levels.
    The project's kick-off meeting, involving eight partners between Italy and Austria, including four universities and three companies, occurred yesterday.
    "Plant microbiome transplantation represents not only an opportunity for the development of sustainable agronomic practices but also a unique opportunity for the creation of long-term cross-border collaborations that bring together researchers, farmers, and industry," said Vittorio Venturi, head of ICGEB's Bacteriology laboratory.
    Co-funded by the EU, the 24-month project has three axes: "development of a cross-border alliance for scientific collaboration to develop and validate and root microbiome transplantation methodology; creation of a cross-border platform for stakeholders in agronomy, agricultural production, and research to foster the use of sustainable and biodiversity-enhancing techniques; a training program to familiarize practitioners on the role of the microbiome in the ecosystem and the potential related to its use." (ANSA).