HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-04

Michail Michailidis could contribute to the project by providing scientific expertise in the assessment of sustainability-related characteristics of organic fruit production systems, with particular emphasis on perennial horticultural crops. The research background of Assistant Professor Michail Michailidis combines fruit tree physiology, plant nutrition, stress biology, fruit quality assessment, agroecological management and molecular analytical approaches.

Development and Validation of Agronomic Sustainability Indicators

Comparative assessments of organic and conventional orchard management practices could be undertaken where appropriate datasets and experimental sites are available. Particular attention would be given to the development of scientifically robust and practical indicators that can be collected consistently by farmers, advisers and researchers.

Assessment of Climate Resilience and Plant Physiological Performance

Through physiological, biochemical and selected molecular analyses, the research team could contribute to the identification of plant responses associated with improved adaptation to climate variability. This work would help strengthen the scientific evidence concerning the environmental performance and resilience of organic perennial cropping systems.

Agroecological Practices, Nutrient Management and Biodiversity

Potential activities include evaluating the effects of cover cropping, reduced external inputs and alternative nutrient-management strategies on tree performance, fruit quality and resource-use efficiency. Collaboration with soil scientists and biodiversity specialists would allow the integration of crop physiological measurements with soil health, carbon and biodiversity indicators.

Fruit Quality, Nutritional Characteristics and Postharvest Sustainability

This contribution could help determine whether particular management practices improve marketable quality, storage potential and the reduction of postharvest losses, thereby connecting farm-level sustainability with downstream value-chain performance.

Advanced Analytical Approaches and Evidence-Based Assessment

The research team could provide expertise in metabolomics, proteomics, transcriptomics and integrated physiological analysis to investigate specific mechanisms underlying crop responses to sustainable management practices. These methods would be applied selectively to support the development and scientific validation of sustainability indicators rather than as an independent large-scale molecular research programme. AUTH could also collaborate with data-management and sustainability-assessment partners to harmonise datasets and facilitate evidence synthesis.

Stakeholder Engagement, Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer

Building on previous experience in farmer training and applied horticultural research, the team could contribute to workshops, demonstration activities and knowledge-exchange initiatives that strengthen the capacity of organic fruit producers to monitor and communicate sustainability performance.

Potential Responsibilities: Agronomic indicator development, orchard-level data collection, physiological and fruit-quality assessment, technical protocols, farmer training and contribution to sustainability evidence synthesis.