MYCROP-RESICLIM
Mycorrhizal-arbuscular symbiosis to improve the resilience of fleshy fruit crops against multiple stresses associated with climate change
The project coordinated by the BIOMA-UNAV Institute and consists of two sub-projects:
MYCROP-CLIMATE (PID2024-156430OB-C21)Resilience of mycorrhizal annual and perennial fleshy fruit crops to climate change scenarios, led by Dr. Inmaculada Pascual and Dr. Nieves Goicoechea (BIOMA-UNAV Institute).
MYCROP-FUNCTION (PID2024-156430OB-C22)Functioning and persistence of arbuscular mycorrhizae in environments with multiple stresses, led by Dr. Nuria Ferrol (Zaidín Experimental Station, CSIC) and involving the University of Alicante (Dr. Idoia Garmendia).
General objective
STRESS IN CROPS
The project MYCROP-RESICLIM will study the association berry crops (grapes and tomatoes) with a synthetic community of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) as tool mitigate the effects of multiple stresses associated with climate change on crops.
MYCROP-CLIMATE subproject objectives:
HMA CONSORTIUM
It will evaluate whether the application of an HMA consortium, which will include fungi with different life strategies, can increase the resilience of these crops to multi-stress conditions (elevatedCO₂, high temperature, drought), focusing on plant physiology, yield, and fruit composition.
MYCORRHIZATION
It will investigate whether the life cycle of the plant and the subject in the vine influence the response of crops to mycorrhization in future climate scenarios.
CLIMATE CHANGE
It will analyze whether the plant's physiological responses to climate change modify its susceptibility to diseases caused by airborne pathogens (Botrytis cinerea) and whether HMAs can induce defenses in plants against this pathogen.
MYCROP-FUNCTION subproject objectives:
ESTABLISHMENT, DYNAMICS, AND FUNCTIONALITY OF HMA
It will study the impact of subject (annual or perennial), the rootstock (in the case of vines), and the multiple stress conditions associated with climate change in the short and medium term on the establishment, colonization dynamics, and functionality of a consortium of AMF with different lifestyles.
MOLECULAR MECHANISMS
It will investigate the molecular mechanisms by which HMAs can improve the mineral nutrition of crops under climate change conditions and modify the hormonal signaling pathways involved in resistance to pathogen attack.
Principal Investigators
Inmaculada Pascual Elizalde
MYCROP-CLIMATE
BIOMA Institute
María Nieves Goicoechea Provost
MYCROP-CLIMATE
BIOMA Institute
Nuria Ferrol
MYCROP-FUNCTION
Zaidín Experimental Station, CSIC
Team researcher
María del Carmen Antolín
BIOMA Institute
Concepción Azcón de Aguilar
Zaidín Experimental Station, CSIC
Idoia Garmendia
University of Alicante
The Task Force
Javier Palenzuela
Zaidín Experimental Station, CSIC
Martín Juárez
financial aid - BIOMA
Duration:
01.09.2025 - 31.08.2029
Funding:
427,000 euros
•project : €190,000 and financial aid for the training researcher staff researcher FPI)
•project : €237,500
Call for knowledge Generation Projects 2024 of the State research Agency (Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities).
Location:
University of Navarra, Zaidín Experimental Station, CSIC, and University of Alicante
core topic
WHY IS THIS project NECESSARY?
The project necessary because agriculture is facing an increasingly complex scenario due to climate change, where there is not just one stress factor, but several at the same time: increased CO₂, higher temperatures, more frequent droughts, and greater disease pressure.
Most previous research has studied these stresses separately, but in real field conditions they occur simultaneously. This creates great uncertainty about:
How will core topic crops core topic grapes and tomatoes respond?
How to maintain productivity without increasing chemical inputs.
How to ensure agricultural sustainability in the medium and long term.
MYCROP-RESICLIM addresses precisely this scientific gap, seeking biological solutions adapted to future climate scenarios.
WHAT SOLUTIONS IS THIS project EXPLORING?
The project a nature-based solution. To this end, it focuses on alternatives such as inoculating HMA consortia with different life strategies, aiming to improve tolerance to drought, heat, and high CO₂, increase plant mineral nutrition, and activate natural defenses against pathogens.
In other words, the aim is to optimize fungal bioinoculants as tool for more resilient agriculture that is less dependent on fertilizers and pesticides.
how does this project affect society?
MYCROP-RESICLIM will have a direct and positive impact on society by contributing to development agricultural systems that are more resilient to climate change, a core topic challenge core topic future food security in the context of One Health. By improving the tolerance of strategic crops such as grapes and tomatoes, the project more stable production even in adverse environmental conditions, reducing economic losses for farmers and decreasing dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. This not only benefits the primary sector, but also promotes more sustainable practices that protect soil, water, and biodiversity.
In turn, more efficient and climate-adapted agriculture helps to ensure the supply of quality food for the population, strengthening the resilience of food systems.