Interactive view of XLSX resource • 39 total records
| # | Call Year | Call Type | Lead Irish Institution | Acronym | Project Title | Project Summary | Amount Awarded | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2019 | ERANET | Teagasc | MilKey | Decision support system for sustainable and GHG optimised milk production in key European areas | European dairy production systems (DPS) face many challenges across the three pillars (3P) of sustainability. European regions are highly diverse and complex, and region-specific concepts for DPS are required. Indeed Ireland has successfully developed a reputation for the production of low emissions, sustainable dairy produce under the banner of Origin Green (Bord Bia 2016). This reputation is acknowledged as vital to achieving FoodWise 2025 targets for increasing the value of the agri-food sector. Indeed, the FoodWise 2025 report states that expansion must be carried out whilst maintaining environmental sustainability and that environmental protection and economic competiveness will be considered as equal and complementary (DAFM 2015). However Ireland also has obligations to limit GHG emissions under the EU regulation. MilKey develops a whole system concept for 3P sustainability of DPS targeted to key European regions including Ireland. GHG mitigation is a core aim accompanied by other environmental impacts, and analysis of economic and social factors. MilKey applies a multi-actor approach throughout the whole project. Finally, a platform for sustainable 3P concepts for DPS in key European regions and an online barn climate and emission control tool will be available. The MilKey platform will be a long-lasting multi-actor knowledge hub to increase understanding and knowledge of sustainable DPS and to intensify the dialogue between science, farmers, stakeholders and policy, also beyond the project lifetime. MilKey integrates a decision support system to assist making knowledgeable decisions on 3P sustainability. | 230658.04 | Euro |
| 2 | 2019 | ERANET | Teagasc | GrassToGas | Grass To Gas: Strategies to mitigate GHG emissions from pasture based sheep systems | There are 1.1bn sheep in the world producing around 137.8M tonnes of CO2eq (or 6.56M tonnes of CH4) per annum. Therefore, global emissions of GHG (CO2eq) due to enteric fermentation of sheep accounts for 2.6% of total agricultural emissions (FAOSTAT 2016). A long term strategy to make cumulative reductions in GHG emissions is to breed more feed-efficient animals which theoretically could reduce emissions of between 1-3% per annum, (or between 1.38M and 4.1M Tonnes reduction in CO2eq per annum). The international sheep breeding community is at different stages of development in the creation of resource populations to generate feed intake and methane emission measurements for sheep. There is a dearth of published information in this area and to date, no country has yet included GHG reduction as a breeding goal for small ruminants. Therefore the aim of this proposal to encompass research from international research groups looking specifically at GHG emissions from sheep production enterprises and the impact of genetic selection on the environmental footprint of sheep systems worldwide. | 286518.2 | Euro |
| 3 | 2019 | ERANET | Teagasc | MELS | Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from livestock systems | For the EU, manure management and soils represent the majority of emissions from the agriculture and food sectors. Modifying excretal carbon (C) and nitrogen flows through manure management systems and soils is especially key to reducing GHGs from livestock agriculture. This project will focus on gathering knowledge about mitigation measures that are currently available or technically well-advanced and developing methods to implement and document their use at the farm and national scales. Specific objectives are to (1) improve the inventory methodologies to estimate the direct and indirect GHGs from livestock production systems, with a particular emphasis on manure management and grassland management; (2) assist inventory compilers to estimate and document the impact of mitigation measures on the emissions reported within national inventories; (3) provide simplified methods for accounting for C sequestration in soils; (4) assess the suitability and applicability of a range of farm-scale decision support systems (DSSs) for policy-relevant purposes; (5) provide improved algorithms and emission factors for use in farm-scale GHG DSSs; (6) improve methods to assess the cost and savings associated with mitigation measures at the farm and national scales. | 201358.2 | Euro |
| 4 | 2019 | ERANET | Teagasc | SEASOLUTIONS | Seaweeds and seaweed-ingredients to reduce enteric methane emissions from pasture-based sheep, cattle and dairy cows | The Seasolutions project aims to develop novel, science-based and implementable approaches to reduce enteric emissions from sheep, beef and dairy cows. Seaweed preservation and characterisation, in vitro simulated rumen studies and animal scientific experiments make up the backbone of the project. These experiments will produce the data to: - Process description with regard to the effect of seaweeds on enteric methane emissions - the assessment of management options with respect to enteric methane emission control A fundamental understanding of the microbiome, its relationship with its host animal, micro-organisms and methanogens is essential to ensure feed efficiency, economic production of livestock and reduction of methane emissions. To date, some chemical compounds and seaweeds (3 Nitrooxypropanol (3 NOP), Asparagopsis taxiformis and Asparagopsis armata) have shown methane inhibitory effects in the laboratory and in limited animal studies. Laboratory experiments have shown methane reductions of up to 99%. However, 3NOP and Asparagopsis sp. are not commercially viable due to (1) Limited supply of seaweed/seaweed bioactives and (2) animal health and food safety issues (potential carcinogen)and environmental concerns (negative effects on the ozone layer); (3) prohibitive costs and (4) limited aquaculture of Asparagopsis seaweeds. SEASOLUTIONS proposes to comprehensively screen and test the efficacy of natural and native, abundant seaweeds that reach the requirements of long-term efficacy without negative effects. SEASOLUTIONS will provide answers to the following practical issues regarding the development of seaweed feeds for methane emissions reduction including the following research gaps: (1) Nutrition, (2) Delivery - SEASOLUTIONS will answer issues concerning delivery of supplements/additives to pasture-fed animals (3) Developing a convincing economic model (4) Assessing the safety of developed ingredients in animals (sheep, cattle and cows) and any sensory implications on final food end-products (meat, milk). | 300843.9 | Euro |
| 5 | 2018 | US-IE | Teagasc | BRDC-URTMVP | BRDC - Upper Respiratory Tract Microbiome & Virome Project | Bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) (pneumonia) is one of the most significant health problems in cattle and one of the biggest costs to the beef industry. The etiopathogenesis of BRDC is multifactorial and extremely complicated; it is caused by an array of infectious agents (viruses, bacteria and Mycoplasmas), interacting with environmental and management factors, which can enhance transmission, as well as, create ‘stressors’ that adversely affect the host immune mechanisms. This, in turn, may predispose calves to secondary viral and bacterial infections. Despite decades of research, effective immunization or antimicrobial therapies have not been developed that substantially reduce the prevalence or severity of BRDC. Fundamental to the creation of appropriate prevention and treatment regimens for BRDC are rapid, comprehensive, targeted and untargeted diagnostic tests coupled with information pertaining to the timing of onset of host immunodeficiency, the particular immune defense mechanisms involved and the dynamics of secondary infections; however, appropriate diagnostic technologies are presently unavailable and this crucial information is largely unknown. In this multidisciplinary project, we aim to i), investigate the prevalence and distribution of the respiratory microbiome and virome associated with BRDC in beef and dairy herds in Ireland and in beef herds at the United States Meat Animal Research Center (US MARC); ii), develop methods to accurately identify the infectious agents of BRDC using next generation sequencing (NGS), third generation sequencing (TGS), bioinformatics technologies, and high-throughput sensitive and rapid pen-side diagnostics; and iii), elucidate the dynamics of secondary viral and bacterial infection by monitoring experimentally virus infected animals in longitudinal studies (AFBI, N. Ireland). | 349887 | Euro |
| 6 | 2018 | ERANET | National University of Ireland Galway | InFutUReWood | Innovative Design for the Future - Use and Reuse of Wood (Building) Components | Construction and demolition waste are a concern today because many components have a high resource value, providing both an environmental and an economic motive for recycling and re-use. Initiatives for sustainable use of natural resources, and for collection and recovery/reuse of materials from waste are the focus of EU and national regulations. Building in wood is a priority in Europe as part of a strategy to convert from fossil-dependency to a sustainable, bio-based economy. While timber industries currently have very efficient processing operations, and modern methods of construction reduce waste, there is also a pressing need to recover timber components from a building at the end of life to meet future demand. There is a similar need to be more efficient about the use of the forest resource, bringing a wider range of virgin wood into the value chain. InFutUReWood seeks to develop a method for ensuring the future possibility of circulation of timber products with true consideration of the whole life-cycle, and practical industry issues at design, construction and deconstruction phases. Approaches to the primary design of buildings to facilitate deconstruction rather than demolition will be developed, while considering issues such as the use of chemical treatments, adhesives and other synthetic materials. In addition, grading methods for quality assessment of recovered wood, and similarly variable new wood from more diverse sources, will be developed in a way that is compatible and equivalent to grading of new timber from the main commercial species (including the basis in European standardization). Potential new construction products using recovered timber will be investigated. The Swedish mining city of Kiruna will be a test bed for the technologies developed. Business, economic, and environmental factors over the life-cycle will inform design decisions. Knowledge will be transferred to industry through professional development, industry bodies, codes and standards. | 294550 | Euro |
| 7 | 2017 | ERANET | University of Limerick | potatoMETAbiome | Harnessing the potato-microbiome interactions for development of sustainable breeding and production strategies | Potato cropping currently relies largely on high inputs of fertilizers, pesticides and water. PotatoMETAbiome will contribute to the development of more sustainable forms of potato cropping by making use of the power and functional traits provided by soil microorganisms and improved interactions between plants and microbes. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to treat plants and the microbes living inside and on the plants as a single meta-organism (Berg et al., 2014). We will identify major plant genes and their activation that are important for the interaction with microbes using a large number of potato lines that respond differently towards stress including pests and climate. We will assess key microbes that support potato plants in nutrient acquisition and response mechanisms to stress. The obtained results will be implemented into field trials to test their relevance under real conditions. The project findings will have an impact on the socio-economy and the environment. The strategy to include potato genotypes that are optimal for beneficial plant-microbe interactions, and participation of stakeholders during the project will greatly support the spread and application of the gained knowledge on sustainable potato cropping across the major European countries. This approach will also influcence future potato plant breeding strategies and improve the resistance of future potato plants to environmental challenges associated with climate change. Specifically, the development of potato plants with improved root biomass and microbe utilization will lessen the impact of abiotic stresses such as drought as well as biotic stresses caused by pathogens. This increase in potato resilience will lead to a much needed reduction in the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, thus reducing the environmental footprint of potato farmers and improving the health of consumers. | 174700 | Euro |
| 8 | 2017 | ERANET | University College Dublin | WheatSustain | Knowldege-driven genomic predictions for sustainable disease resistance in wheat | To meet the Grand Societal Challenges, we need a sustainable intensification of agricultural production, improving both yield and quality. Sustainability includes optimized plant health to lower the risk of crop losses from plant diseases and to reduce the dependency on pesticides, which is a key element of the 2009/128/EC directive. New cultivars are needed with reduced environmental impact that combine excellent disease resistance with productivity and end-use quality. Wheat is the most cultivated cereal crop in Europe, and among the top three cereals globally with a total production of 749 million tonnes in 2016 (FAOSTAT). As proof of concept cases, we are targeting stripe rust and Fusarium head blight (FHB), which are among the most threatening wheat diseases in Europe and North America. Stripe rust is infamous for its ability to quickly evolve new pathogen races that overcome resistances in widely grown cultivars. FHB epidemics regularly cause both yield and quality losses in major wheat growing regions and is of serious concern for human and animal nutrition due to the production of mycotoxins. WheatSustain will together with European and Canadian wheat breeders innovate new genomic selection methodologies that can greatly enhance the breeding of new cultivars with improved stripe rust and FHB resistance. Once developed, the methodology can be transferred to other crops and traits and provide long-term impact on agriculture. Cultivars with improved disease resistance will greatly facilitate the implementation of integrated disease control strategies and contribute to a more environmentally friendly agriculture that is less prone to yield and quality losses and less dependent on pesticides. Cultivars with improved disease resistance will also be of great benefit to organic agriculture where fungicides cannot be used. | 173915.15 | Euro |
| 9 | 2017 | ERANET | Teagasc | ProFaba | Developing improved Vicia faba breeding practices and varieties to drive domestic protein production in the European Union | Europe suffers a major protein deficit, which results in an annual net import of 40 million tonnes of soybean as whole seed or meal . In contrast, the total EU production of soybean, pea and faba bean (broad bean) is 8 million tonnes, approximately equally distributed between the three. Faba bean is adapted to a wide range of climates, has a good disease resistance profile, and its seed protein concentration is higher than that of other starchy legumes including pea, so it is an attractive candidate for boosting protein production across Europe. To realise this potential, faba bean must be an economically competitive and attractive crop for European farmers. In order to accomplish this, we propose to unite the strong faba bean expertise from across Europe to establish common genotyping and bioinformatics strategies as well as common data repositories. Methods and data will be translated for use by partner breeders to ensure immediate impact on breeding strategies and variety development. The individual partners will address specific topics important for crop resilience and productivity, sharing the results as they are produced with the consortium and rendering them public as they are published. Bringing together a large group of partners throughout Europe, we will address many of the issues that currently limit faba bean production, including pest, disease and abiotic stress resistance, interactions with nitrogen fixing rhizobia, and resilience to climate change. Pre-competitive knowledge sharing of data generated using a common set of highly diverse faba bean lines will ensure that local breeder partners can address the most pertinent challenges faced by farmers to increase faba bean competitiveness when compared to cereals and thereby generate a more balanced and protein-self-sufficient European agricultural system, which takes full advantage of biological nitrogen fixation. | 252585.85 | Euro |
| 10 | 2017 | ERANET | Teagasc | DIFFUGAT | Diploid Inbreds For Fixation, and Unreduced GAmetes for Tetraploidy – A novel Fixation-Restitution Breeding method for potato | This project will impact the sustainability and resilience of the world’s 4th most important food crop by developing all of the components required for an innovative breeding system that can overcome limitations of the current breeding method. Predictable fixation of biotic and abiotic stress resistance, in combination with yield, nutritional value and quality, will facilitate SME breeding companies to develop highly performing potato varieties with a sustainability and resilience profile that is impossible to achieve using current methods. Climate change may radically impact global potato production. High temperature, flooding, drought and salinity will impact yield. Climate change may also increase biotic stress by conferring shorter life cycles and increased geographical range to pests and pathogens. Agronomy and pesticides can repair the lack of resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses, but breeding will offer the crop an innate capacity to resist them, allowing an integrated pest management to produce a high quality crop with lower inputs. Unfortunately, potato breeding is a slow and frustrating activity. Tetraploidy and outbreeding hinder the fixation of genetic gains, making the accumulation of multiple beneficial trait alleles very difficult, even over several cycles of selection. High soil temperature inhibits tuber formation; genes involved in heat tolerance have been identified, but are underused in varieties. Varieties with single resistance genes exist, but these offer stepping stones for evolution of pathogenicity; pyramiding R genes greatly contributes to their durable deployment. Breeding high performing varieties combining all such traits is essential for resilience but difficult. Therefore, we propose a new breeding system that allows for a predictable accumulation and subsequent fixation of biotic and abiotic resistances with yield and quality traits. By the end of this project we can deliver the components of this breeding system. | 166005.92 | Euro |
| 11 | 2017 | US-IE | University College Dublin | TARGET-TB | Targeted genome editing to enhance genetic resistance to Mycobacterium bovis infection in domestic cattle populations | The effective and early detection of disease within cattle is widely recognized as a critical component in maximizing clinical and therapeutic outcomes, increasing production efficiency and limiting the economic impact of infections. AgriSense II will develop an electronic sensor platform consists of two sensors with different sensing mechanisms (potentiometric sensors based on field-effect-transistors and electrochemical impedance) which can be co-fabricated on the same substrate that will greatly reduce false positive and false negative test results therefore providing more robust clinical data to stakeholder such as farmers and veterinarians. The device will target multiplexed (simultaneous) detection of commonly occurring viral pathogens known to cause production diseases that have high animal welfare and economic costs. These diseases include: Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVDV), Bovine Parainfluenza Virus-3 (BPIV-3), Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV), and Enzootic Bovine Leucosis (EBL). New disease specific capture proteins to be developed by QUB will have high specificity and avidity for the selected disease will, for the first time, enable highly selective immunoassays. Electronic sensors will permit rapid diagnostics (in less than 10 minutes) while the dual sensing approach will provide results with higher confidence levels than are currently available due to reduce false positives (negatives). The sensor device will also consist of positive and negative control sensor channels to (i) confirm assay functionality and (ii) correct for non-specific bind, noise and drift. Finally the devices will be validated in a commercial veterinary diagnostics laboratory using archived samples diseases whose control and prevention are critical to the cattle and dairy industries in the United States, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. This will be followed by an extensive on-farm diagnostic validation using milk samples followed by demonstration activities to various stakeholders on-farm. | 325115 | Euro |
| 12 | 2017 | US-IE | University College Cork | NAGpro | Improved animal Husbandry through inhibition of Microbial Bile Salt Hydrolase (NAGpro) | We propose to develop innovative antibiotic-free feeding technologies (growth promoters) that will enhance weight gain in chickens to significantly improve yield, enhance profitability and deliver a product of enhanced quality to the consumer. We predict that the work will also have significant potential for applications in other animals. Novel growth promoters will be based upon our recent functional microbiome work and emerging understanding of how gut bacteria interact with the host to control weight gain. In particular, we have previously identified bacterial enzymes called Bile Salt Hydrolases (BSHs) which modify bile acids in the host and influence energy metabolism. Compelling evidence shows that inhibition of BSH activity would cause weight gain. On this basis, we will develop a world-leading research program that will develop BSH inhibitors showing promise as animal growth promoters in this project. We also will test these novel growth promoters in a chicken husbandry model and will investigate the biological basis of the phenomenon using state-of-the-art metabolomics, metagenomics and computational approaches. The proposed work directly addresses the AFRI Priority Program Area of A1231 (Animal Nutrition, Growth and Lactation). Using multidisciplinary approaches, this timely project will be conducted by a team of highly experienced investigators in the USA, Republic of Ireland, and North Ireland. The outcomes of the project will lead to the development of innovative non-antibiotic technologies for use in poultry and possibly other livestock. Adoption of our antibiotic-free strategies will undoubtedly improve food safety and reduce the dependence on in-feed antibiotics while maintaining animal productivity and sustainability. | 301874 | Euro |
| 13 | 2017 | US-IE | University College Cork | AgriSense II | Development and validation of an on-farm, electronic disease diagnosis platform for cattle | Mycobacterium bovis infection, the cause of bovine TB (BTB), costs an estimated $3 billion to global agriculture annually and the primary financial burden of BTB in developed countries is the control of infection. This tri-partite US-Ireland R&D Partnership project will leverage complementary scientific skills, resources and infrastructure available at Recombinetics, Inc., (US-REC), University College Dublin (ROI-UCD) and Queen’s University Belfast (NI-QUB). The overall goal will be to identify natural sequence variants (NSVs) in key genes and genomic regulatory elements (GREs) associated with the bovine host macrophage response to infection with M. bovis. The research project will also generate new information on the genetics of host-pathogen interaction for BTB disease in cattle, which will improve existing control and management tools such as diagnostics and genome-enabled breeding. In addition, it will define a research paradigm and strategy that can be used for comparable studies of intracellular microbial infections such as Johne’s disease in cattle caused by M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). The project will take advantage of a multi-pronged, multi-step computational workflow that will be used to prioritise genes for subsequent genome-editing experiments. A scientific pipeline will be implemented for robust functional testing of these gene edits in bovine induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived macrophages (iPSCDM) using an in vitro infection model system. These cells will then be used to test the efficacy of specific NSVs in enhancing the bovine macrophage response to M. bovis infection and provide baseline information for future production of gene-edited cattle with increased resistance to BTB disease. | 349766 | Euro |
| 14 | 2017 | ERANET | Teagasc | BIOCARB-4-FOOD | Extraction and characterization of BIOactives and CARBohydrates fromseaweeds and seagrasses FOR FOOD-related applications (BIOCARB-4-FOOD) | Carbohydrates are the most important source of food energy in the world being also key ingredients for food formulations, serving as thickeners, stabilizers and gelling agents or providing functional attributes. Functional and technological properties of polysaccharides depend on composition, structure and physicochemical characteristics, defined by source and extraction method employed. Seaweeds and seagrasses are a valuable and under-exploited source of carbohydrates, in particular cell wall polysaccharides (phycocolloids), and bioactive compounds such as polyphenols or carotenoids. Current industrial procedures used by European companies for carbohydrate extraction from seaweeds are highly inefficient in terms of processing time, water and energy requirements. Furthermore, the remaining biomass (generally much more than 50% of the initial material) is used as compost or simply disposed as organic waste. We propose to explore, in close collaboration with industry, novel, environmentally friendly and efficient extraction techniques (ultrasound, microwave, enzymes and their combinations), combined with the exploitation of the remaining biomass, rich in bioactive compounds, to sequentially obtain novel carbohydrate-based extracts and fibers (nanocellulose) from seaweeds and seagrasses. We will characterize structure, technological properties, toxicity and bioactivity of the fractions obtained from the various extraction technologies and a life cycle assessment (LCA) will also be conducted for proving the sustainability of the procedures. The project is expected to contribute to improved process efficiency, development of ingredients with high added value from already commercialized seaweed species and from under-exploited sources (seagrasses) which can positively impact in the competitiveness of seaweed, food and non-food companies at EU scale by a better valorization of raw materials. | 305884.4 | Euro |
| 15 | 2017 | ERANET | University College Dublin | ImPrOVE | Innovative (pre)Pomace valorization process (ImPrOVE) | The ImPrOVE (Innovative (pre)POmace Valorization procEss) project addresses a major European wide agro-related problem: pomace resulting from pressing fruit. This high amount of pomace is considered waste, but contains natural and highly functional compounds. Skin and core of fruit contain protecting and functional molecules: antioxidants, stabilizers, colorants, aromas, fibers with potential in high value applications in cosmetics, diets and, as bio-additives in food and beverages. ImPrOVE aims to fully valorize pomace by using a combination of existing and innovative processes. These should be easy without high energy/cost demands, resulting in access for S(M)E’s (economic strategic European targets) with profit redistributed over the whole chain, strengthening Europe's agro and food activities. ImPrOVE will design a generic process flow applicable to most pomace types. Two cases will be studied: Southern European olive pomace and Mid/Northern European apple/pear/cherry/cucumber pomace. Total valorization is achieved in three process clusters: (1) pretreatment giving raise to aromas and oil from separated seeds; (2) extraction of high value materials from the pretreated pomace and (3) valorization of the resulting fibrous mass, either directly (functionally designed fibers) or by splitting cellulose-lignin and valorizing both materials physically, enzymatically and/or chemically. An ambitious concept is to use bio-based ionic liquids (BIOILs) or natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) as extraction liquids advanced green solvents. More ambitious, highly appealing, is to study whether the extraction solution itself can be utilized instead of the isolated and purified ingredients, avoiding some downstream processing. Dermatological and metabolomic tests, (eco)toxicity, biodegradation, industrial relevance, scalability and economic viability will be sustainably addressed by the European multidisciplinary partner cluster, with academic and industrial members. | 285799.8 | Euro |
| 16 | 2017 | ERANET | University College Dublin | MEFPROC | Improving Sustainability in Food Processing using Moderate Electric Fields (MEF) for Process Intensification and Smart Processing (MEFPROC) | The adoption of novel sustainable, innovative processing solutions capable of producing microbiologically safe, high-quality products is essential for future economic growth and advancement in the European Food Industry. Novel mass transfer (e.g. extraction/impregnation) and volumetric heating (e.g. softening, coagulation, cooking or heat processing) operations based moderate electric field (MEF) application to foods represent an extremely energy efficient yet low cost group of applications which will have a definite role in this innovation revolution. Unlike high voltage pulsed electric fields (PEF), a technology which has received considerable attention in recent years, MEF involves a simpler more direct application of electrical current (i.e. no capacitors, pulse forming networks etc.) which is in the form of AC (vs. DC in PEF) at considerably lower field strengths (i.e. V/cm vs. kV/cm) than PEF. Further process intensifications and marginal gains are possible if MEF is applied in combination with ultrasound (US). The consortium consists of (1) leading European researchers in electro processing, ultrasound, process control and computer modelling (2) MEF and US equipment manufacturers (3) food manufacturers interested in utilising MEF with US for mass transfer and/or heating applications but prevented from doing so by gaps in knowledge. The overriding objective of the proposed project is to bridge gaps in scientific and technical knowledge currently preventing uptake of MEF and US by the food industry providing innovative and sustainable processing solutions for European Food Manufacturers in a host of sectors. Key to achieving this aim will be the quantification and demonstration of yield gain and reduced energy consumption with MEF (and US enhanced MEF) compared to existing heating and/or mass transfer operations. To assist commercial uptake, dissemination and information generation to counteract non-technical barriers to uptake are other project aims. | 509070 | Euro |
| 17 | 2017 | ERANET | University College Cork | PLATEFORMS | Sustainable Food Platforms: Enabling sustainable food practices through socio-technical innovation (PLATEFORMS) | In recent years, we have seen an increase in the range of food provisioning platforms available to consumers. Each platform presents consumers with a unique choice architecture. These emerge from both e-commerce development and consumer-driven food provisioning. Little is known about the impact of these new platforms on food choices, or to what degree they represent new opportunities to promote sustainable food practices. PLATEFORMS aims to produce in-depth knowledge on how food practices are affected by socio-technical innovations in food provisioning platforms, and communicate success stories of sustainability to platform owners and policy makers. The project includes both business-driven platforms (e.g. supermarkets, online stores) and consumer-driven platforms (e.g. food cooperatives). Methodologically and theoretically, the project is positioned between individualistic and systemic approaches – whereas the first is focusing on changing individual consumer behaviour, and the second is ignoring consumers in favour of other actors and more “macro” solutions. More specifically, this project takes a socio-technical practice approach, seeing consumption in all its phases of planning, provisioning, storing, cooking, eating, and disposing – driven by practices more than by individual choices. The project will promote sustainable food choices through involvement with platform owners, dissemination of academic results and communication of sustainable success stories across countries and platforms. The communication will target platforms owners, policy makers, and NGOs. By producing new in-depth knowledge about concrete strategies to enable sustainable food consumption through food provisioning platforms, the project will affect consumer practices and choices on a larger scale. Moreover, through intervention studies and collaboration with platform owners, it will be possible to quantify the effect of interventions. | 194493.34 | Euro |
| 18 | 2016 | ERANET | Trinity College Dublin | Eutro-Sed | Eutrophication hotspots resulting from biogeochemical transformations and bioavailability of phosphorus in the fluvial suspended sediment of geologically contrasting agricultural catchments | There has been an increasing awareness of the importance of fluvial suspended sediments in the transport of nutrients from agricultural catchment1. Furthermore, studies have shown that a significant proportion of total P loads is transported in streams and rivers in particulate form or within the fluvial suspended sediments2 and it is well established that elevated P compounds may promote eutrophication and degradation of surface water quality3. Suspended sediment associated organic P4and humic-metal P complexes5 will be deposited on the river bed channel or on floodplains and its subsequent remobilisation must therefore have an important impact on the transport, delivery pathway and fate of organic P and humic-metal P complexes within agricultural catchments. Deposition on the river channel bed or floodplains can result in short or long term P storage. Similarly, remobilisation of river bed sediments coupled with bank erosion can reintroduce organic P and humic-metal P complexes to the river channel. Hence, information is required on organic P and humic-metal P fluxes, storage, mobilization and bioavailability within agricultural streams on a temporal and spatial scale for appropriate catchment scale management policies. Despite increased recognition of the importance of particulate sediment associated P within freshwater systems (particularly lakes), little attention has been given to organic P and humic-metal P complexes in suspended and streambed sediments within agricultural catchments, with most research heretofore focussing on organic P and humic-metal P complexes in soils and lentic sediments (lakes, reservoirs etc.)6. Few studies have specifically characterised and quantified organic P and humic-metal P species within streambed sediments7,8, and fewer still their reactivity and bioavailability, especially in fluvial suspended sediments9. Factors which affect the bioavailability of organic P forms and humic-metal P complexes in fluvial and streambed sediments are similar to those from lentic systems with some differences such as a general absence of anoxia (although it may be present under certain conditions), less ability to buffer sediment and P inputs from runoff and in some areas a greater potential for macrophyte growth10. Many studies have shown that in catchments with diffuse sources, episodic flooding events and runoff (as influenced by stream hydro-morphology and land management) control stream bed and suspended solid composition11. Hence, the concentration and form of organic P/humic-metal P complexes and their link to macrophyte growth are likely impacted by fluvial and stream bed sediments, which is the main research hypothesis for this proposal. | 115806 | Euro |
| 19 | 2016 | ERANET | University College Dublin | GHG-Manage | MANAGING AND REPORTING OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND CARBON SEQUESTRATION IN DIFFERENT LANDSCAPE MOSAICS | Different landscape mosaics contribute an as yet poorly quantified contribution to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and carbon sequestration, as well as having an uncertain direct warming effect through variations in their surface properties thereby limiting our ability to implement mitigation measures at the farm scale. In this project we aim to assess the GHG characteristics and surface-related warming effects of the most relevant European landscape types and examine the optimum configuration of different land uses and management interventions, including afforestation-related GHG offsetting, to minimise or reduce GHG emissions. We will provide information that can be utilised for on-farm reporting tools, including an economic tool and the Cool Farm Tool (CFT), whilst also using this information to both refine and increase the utility of these approaches, particularly in relation to CH4 and N2O exchange and for organic soils. Important compensation mechanisms will be quantified and their impact on regional to national scale GHG emissions and soil carbon stocks assessed. Finally, appropriate methodologies to report and verify the effects of landscape scale GHG emission compensation mechanisms, both top-down and bottom-up, will be developed and assessed. | 236133.75 | Euro |
| 20 | 2016 | ERANET | Teagasc | METHLAB | Refining direct fed microbials (DFM) and silage inoculants for reduction of methane emissions from ruminants | This proposal is focused on implementing the use of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as an approach to reduce methane emissions from ruminant livestock. The goal will be to refine current on-farm LAB technologies such as direct-fed microbial supplements and/or silage inoculants, currently used to increase production and improve health of animals, with a methane-reducing benefit. Selected METHLAB strains will be tested in ruminants (cows and sheep) to confirm efficacy of methane reductions in vivo. LAB offer a safe, practical and natural way to influence the rumen microbial community for methane mitigation, creating a more sustainable, emission-efficient food production system. LAB are natural inhabitants of the gastrointestinal tract of ruminants but are also well established as industrial micro-organisms, economically produced in large quantities for incorporation into feed products, making them ideally suited as a microbial technology. The partners in this proposal are from Global Research Alliance (GRA) member countries that share the goal of reducing methane emission intensity across ruminant classes in a manner that maintains agricultural production and sustains environmental integrity. METHLAB brings together a global network of multidisciplinary researchers to enhance impact and advance the knowledge transfer of LAB on-farm technologies to address the reduction of enteric methane emissions in ruminant (specifically cattle and sheep) production systems. Using superior microbial inoculants (which we will identify in the project), we aim to improve the quality of ruminant feeds which will lead to a reduction in methane and enhanced livestock production. METHLAB will thus lead to environmental and societal benefits with the potential to deliver green jobs and increase competitiveness in the agri-food sector. | 218920 | Euro |
| 21 | 2016 | ERANET | Teagasc | MAGGE-pH | Mitigating Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions by improved pH management of soils | Climate forcing by crop production is dominated by N2O emissions. Although emissions can be marginally reduced by “good agronomic practice”, we need more targeted approaches to make progress. For that, MAGGE-pH concentrates on the microbial processes responsible for production and consumption of N2O in soils. Our point of departure is the emerging understanding of how soil pH perversively controls the N2O/(N2O+N2) product ratio of denitrification. Since denitrification is the dominant source of N2O, this indicates that N2O emissions from cultivated soils can be reduced substantially by increasing the pH of moderately acidic soils beyond that needed to secure adequate crop growth. This necessitates policy instruments to secure effective implementation, and MAGGE-pH will deliver socio-economic analyses to identify such instruments. The evidence for the pH effect on N2O emissions stems almost exclusively from laboratory experiments. Now we need stringent testing of different liming strategies under realistic field conditions. This will be the core activity in MAGGE-pH and generate emission factors for a range of N fertilizers/manure/urine/biochar applications explicit for soil pH. We will also explore the use of non-calcareous rock powders as a replacement for traditional limes (carbonates). This is highly relevant, because CO2 emissions from carbonates can negate their potential GHG reducing effect. MAGGE-pH will also explore novel approaches to manage soil pH via fertilizers and manure, in order to reduce both N2O emission and NH3 volatilization. Thus, the project adds some "blue sky” research to the core objectives and puts it to the critically evaluation by a broad European consortium consisting of researchers, fertilizer companies and practitioners. | 244999.99 | Euro |
| 22 | 2016 | ERANET | Teagasc | RumenPredict | Predicting appropriate GHG mitigation strategies based on modelling variables that contribute to ruminant environmental impact | Ruminant production is responsible for ~ 9% of anthropogenic CO2 emission and 37% of CH4 emissions. Release of methane results in 6-12% less energy being available to the animal. Ruminants also contribute towards NO2 within the environment, a persistent gas in the atmosphere which has 296 times more warming potential than CO2. RumenPredict brings together members of the international Rumen Microbial Genomics network (led by IBERS, AU), of which the Hungate 1000 (focussed on sequencing 1000 rumen microbes) and the Rumen Census (focussed on evaluating effects of diet, host genetics and geographical location on the rumen microbiome) are projects within. RumenPredict brings together key members of the RMG network to generate the necessary data to link rumen microbiome information to host genetics and phenotype and develop feed based mitigation strategies. This will enhance innovative capacity and allow integration of new knowledge with that previously generated to devise geographic and animal-specific solutions to reduce the environmental impact of livestock ruminants. The project members have access to recent data/tools resulting from an array of projects, and RumenPredict will build upon and enhance the integration of knowledge generated from these projects whilst providing innovation through further testing and validation of key hypotheses resulting from the previously obtained data. RumenPredict will provide a platform for predicting how host genetics, feed additives or microbiome may affect emission phenotypes and develop genetic/diet/prediction technolgies further for implemntation to improve nitrogen use efficiency whilst decreasing environmental impact of ruminants. | 244418.07 | Euro |
| 23 | 2016 | ERANET | University of Limerick | SusSheP | Sustainable Sheep Production | The overall aim of SusSheP is to increase the sustainability and profitability of European Sheep Production by addressing key industry focused problems. Sheep are unproductive (but carbon productive) until they produce their first lamb crop, normally at 2 years of age and, on average, ewes only produce 4 crops of lambs in their lifetime. Despite its importance both from an economic and environmental perspective ewe longevity is not included in sheep breeding indexes across Europe. SusSheP will establish the genetic factors controlling ewe longevity, under different Sheep Production Systems (SPSs) and assess if early life predictors (eg reared as single, twin etc) can be used to predict longevity. Parallel to this, SusSheP will identify the most carbon and labour efficient SPSs under different management systems (eg prolific vs non-prolific sheep breeds) in order to enable the development of strategies to reduce the labour input and carbon hoof print per kg of output. The breeding of more efficient sheep has been hampered internationally by the lack of sheep artificial insemination, as the only effective method for use with frozen-thawed semen is a laparoscopic procedure, whereby, semen is injected directly into the uterus but this requires veterinary expertise, is welfare unfriendly and sociable unacceptable. The only exception to this is in Norway, in which vaginal deposition of frozen-thawed semen yields good pregnancy rates. Research in Ireland has demonstrated this is due to the breed of the ewe used in Norway, whereby sperm can transverse the cervix in greater numbers than in other breeds, leading to higher pregnancy rates. SusSheP will interrogate the differences across breeds in cervical physiology and its secretions (genes, proteins and glycans) with a view of developing a more sociably acceptable AI method. Finally, through the participation of strategically chosen SME’s, SusSheP will maximise knowledge transfer to industry, farmers and the scientific communities. | 244999 | Euro |
| 24 | 2016 | ERANET | Teagasc | SUSTAINBEEF | Co-definition and evaluation of SUSTAINable BEEF farming systems based on resources non edible by humans | Due to a growing world population and changing consumption patterns, demand for animal products is expected to increase. Ruminant-based systems have the potential advantage of using resources non edible by humans and converting these into high quality human food. However, the emergence of intensive ruminant production systems, relying on increasing use of concentrate feeds, with food value, and the related increase in land abandonment in traditional grassland regions, has increased scrutiny in respect of the sustainability of EU livestock productions. Moreover the consumers’ point of view, the social acceptability of cattle products is being questioned with regards to food quality and safety, animal welfare and the competition between feed and food. To face these drawbacks, we hypothesize that cattle farming systems which rely mainly on grasslands and agro-industrial resources non-edible by humans are more or can be designed to be more sustainable than specialized systems which use feedstuffs that could also be directly used as food or that was produced at the detriment of food production. In addition such systems would greatly contribute to circular economy. Our measure of sustainability includes, environmental and social dimensions as well as economic perspectives taking into account the services delivered by these systems. Our proposal focuses on beef production systems as they are increasingly questioned by society. To test this, actual and potential performances of systems representative of Europe will be compared, mobilizing multidisciplinary and multi-actors approaches to co-define 1-beef system types, 2-the set of sustainability indicators to be mobilized, 3-potential scenarios of evolution for more sustainable systems. These scenarios will be evaluated and, furthermore, suitable incentive measures to enhance their implementation will be tested and, when relevant, proposed. The dissemination of results will be facilitated throughout this bottom-up approach. | 136250 | Euro |
| 25 | 2016 | ERANET | University of Limerick | BENCHVALUE | Benchmarking the sustainability performances of value chains | Risk of extreme events to inform the predicted response of various key species to various climate change | 245716 | Euro |