Agronomic Adaptation to climate change and Living Labs for Horticultural Value Chains

Agronomic Adaptation to climate change and Living Labs for Horticultural Value Chains

Research expertise and potential contribution

I am Hager Snoussi, researcher/Associate Professor at the Horticultural Sciences Laboratory of the National Institute of Agronomic Research of Tunisia (INRAT).

My research focuses on plant molecular genetics, biodiversity and germplasm characterization, with an emphasis on plant adaptation to climate change and abiotic stresses. More recently, my major interest, research and R&D activities are dedicated to analyze how citrus, cactus and grapevine respond to water scarcity and salinity. I evaluate crop and varietal performance under stress and use plant physiological measurements to interpret field responses. I am interested in how varietal choice, irrigation scheduling and soil management can sustain yield and quality while improving water and nutrient use. This field expertise can help calibrate and validate digital tools under Mediterranean growing conditions.

My second area of contribution is to establish living labs around the citrus, cactus and grapevine value chains. These networks would bring together family farms and larger commercial growers, nurseries, agricultural administrations, development and extension services, cooperatives and processors. Participants would define priorities together, test solutions on farms and develop new ways to link planting material, production, processing and markets.

Potential contributions to the project

• Validate sensors, remote sensing and decision support tools in field trials at INRAT research stations and in our partner farms under large range of contrasting edaphoclimatic areas.

• Identify field and physiological indicators of crop response to water and salt stress to inform irrigation scheduling and distinguish stress effects on growth, yield and quality.

• Evaluate varieties under water deficit and saline conditions and use the results to guide varietal choice and irrigation and nutrient management.

• Test agroecological and soil management practices that improve soil water retention and fertility alongside digital tools.

• Establish living labs for horticultural crops such citrus, cactus and grapevine, with growers, public agencies, nurseries and processors jointly designing field trials and demonstrations.

• Assess innovations against indicators relevant to farmers and value chain partners, including water use, yield stability, product quality, costs and profitability.

Research experience and collaboration capacity
I have participated and led different national and international projects including projects funded by EU (INCO-MPC CIBEWU), USAID’s PEER programme or the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education, in collaboration with research centres in France, Spain, Italy and the United States. The PEER project involved nursery operators, agrifood processors and farmers from both family farms and industrial farming operations.
I currently coordinate a project to restore cactus cultivation across Tunisia following the massive destruction of cactus plantations caused by cochineal infestation in order to support the recovery of two value chains, cactus forage and cactus seed oil. The project evaluates and valorizes selected cochineal-resistant varieties and coordinates planting programmes with Livestock and Pasture Office and agricultural development and extension services and cooperatives. This project prospects also the potential of the use of beneficial mycorrhizae to promote cactus development and productivity under real conditions.

Expected collaboration
I am interested in joining a Horizon Europe consortium as a research partner. I would bring Mediterranean field sites both in experimental station and in commercial fields; and value chain networks to the consortium. These partnerships would help identify which digital and agronomic practices work under local conditions and how they can be adopted across the citrus, cactus and grapevine value chains. I am fully open to engage INRAT in leading a work package. This workpackage can for example coordinate agronomic field validation or living labs and value chains in demonstration sites in the different participating countries.

I welcome collaboration with

• Research teams in digital agriculture, precision irrigation and fertigation, remote sensing and decision support

• Agronomists, crop physiologists and soil and water scientists

• Technology developers and agricultural technology SMEs

• Nurseries, processors, agrifood businesses and researchers studying value chains

• Farmer organisations, cooperatives, agricultural administrations, extension services and NGOs

• European and African research institutions (including FNSSA-related initiatives).