OPTIMA will integrate an ambitious biology system approach for perennial grasses such as switchgrass, miscanthus and giant reed in the Mediterranean environment. Moreover the perennial species cardoon, which has been proven to be particularly adapted to the Mediterranean climate, will be used as a control species.
The main objective of the OPTIMA project is to identify high-yielding perennial grasses for the Mediterranean area, within optimized production chain that will provide stable source for both biomass and new plant derived bio-products. OPTIMA will explore the potentialities of perennial grasses on underutilized or abandoned marginal lands.
An interdisciplinary approach involving physiology, biotechnology, and agronomy, socio-economical and environmental analysis at different scale levels will be undertaken with the aim at tackling specific bottlenecks of perennial grasses in the Mediterranean area and to create alternative end-use chains. OPTIMA approach has been to link the research proposed here by including industrial end-users in the project. This should allow the output of this research to develop in a commercial context as rapidly as possible the new findings.
The major goals of this multidisciplinary network are to evaluate the existing genotypes; to characterize and deliver novel species; to deliver sustainable crop management practices (sowing/planting strategies to reduce the use of pesticide and increase biomass on the first year establishment, cultivation under salinity conditions and/or water deficit, reducing losses during harvest); to evaluate the industrial production of bio-energy and added value bio-products; to assess the environmental impact through an integrated assessment of sustainability criteria, to disseminate the achieved findings at different level (local, regional, national, international).
Coordinator
Università Degli Studi Di Catania (Italy)
Other participants
ALMA MATER STUDIORUM-UNIVERSITA’ DI BOLOGNA
- Dip. di Scienze Agrarie - DIPSA
- Resp. Scientifico: Dr. Andrea Monti
Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (Italy)
Tuzetka (Belgium)
Spapperi S.R.L. (Italy)
Consiglio Per La Ricerca e Sperimentazione In Agricoltura (Italy)
Primus Talalmanyhasznosito, Termelo, Kereskedelmi Es Szolgaltato Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag (Hungary)
Indian Institute Of Technology Delhi (India)
Instituto De Agrobiotecnologia Rosario S.A. (Argentina)
Huazhong Agricultural University (China)
Aberystwyth University (UK)
Ifeu - Institut Fuer Energie- Und Umweltforschung Heidelberg Gmbh (Germany)
B.T.G. Biomass Technology Group Bv (Netherlands)
Agricultural University Of Athens (Greece)
Kentro Ananeosimon Pigon Ke Exikonomisis Energeias - Centre For Renewable Energy Sources And Saving (Greece)
Universidad Politecnica De Madrid (Spain)
Faculdade De Ciencias E Tecnologiada Universidade Nova De Lisboa (Portugal)
Universitat De Barcelona (Spain)
University College Dublin, National University Of Ireland, Dublin (Eire)
Imperial College Of Science, Technology And Medicine (UK)
Universitat De Les Illes Balears (Spain)
Start date
01/10/2011
End date
30/09/2015
Duration
48 months
Project Reference
289642
Project cost
3.887.650 EURO
Project Funding
2.998.319 EURO
Area
FP7-COOPERATION-KBBE
Subprogramme Area
KBBE.2011.3.1-02 Perennial grasses: optimising biomass production - SICA
Contract type
Collaborative Project targeted to a special group (such as SMEs)