About

Coordinated by ULiège, GemblouxAgro-Bio Tech, BIOCONTROL 4.0 focuses on innovative biocontrol solutions for sustainable agriculture, and more specifically on the development of :

1. New biofungicides or directed control strategies against plant diseases caused by fungi (Trans-Lipo and Trans-Pathoflax 2.0)
2. New biocontrol products designed to reduce the number of insects that predate crops (Trans-Pest) and,
3. Digital tools (sensors, robots and decision-support tools) to support the development and use of biocontrol products (Trans-e-Bio). It also aims to integrate these tools by demonstrating their effectiveness in greenhouse or field experiments (Trans-Control), and in training courses aimed primarily at developers, producers, sellers and users of these products (Trans-Training).

Philippe Jacques explains: "Today, agriculture is faced with a complex equation involving a major reduction in inputs, and in particular pesticides, which are now recognized for their negative impact on the environment, in a context of climate change, and if possible without affecting yields or production costs. By bringing together an exceptional number of players, the Biocontrol 4.0 project portfolio is a unique opportunity to provide sustainable solutions for managing crop pests in the Franco-Belgian cross-border region. It brings together upstream research players as well as those in direct contact with farmers, enabling the development of research directly related to the concerns of users of research results. This system also ensures optimum transfer of results to users."

This portfolio mobilizes the skills of 43 partners, from 22 institutions, with a budget of over 14 million euros (including over 2.2 million for the University of Liège), to develop an approach integrating digital and biocontrol tools and aiming to reduce the use of pesticides. To ensure the smooth running of the consortium, the coordinator has brought together the internal and external management and communication tools for the 6 research projects under a single project, Trans-Manage. The aim of Trans-Manage is to ensure that the various projects in the portfolio operate in an optimal, concerted fashion, with maximum visibility.

• Trans-Manage : Management and communication of the Biocontrol 4.0 portfolio. (coordinator : University of Liège)
• Trans-e-Bio : Development of digital tools for biocontrol solutions. (coordinator : Multitel)
• Trans-Pest  : Analysis of the impact of environmental variations on bioinsecticides. (coordinator : UMons)
• Trans-Lipo : Development of biological solutions based on lipopeptides and glycolipids for sustainable agriculture. (coordinator : URCA)
• Trans-Pathoflax 2.0 : Development of biocontrol solutions for flax growers and diagnostic techniques for disease-resistant flax varieties (coordinator : Inagro)
• Trans-Control  : Improving integrated pest and disease management in agriculture. (coordinator : Viaverda)
• Trans-Training : Training in the latest developments within the portfolio and awareness-raising activities for all audiences in the area. (coordinator : ULille)