Plant BioProTech 2026

Each day starts or ends with high-level keynote sessions, bringing together leading experts to share visionary insights on the future of plant bioprotection.

• Keynote Session 1: How plants tame their microbiota? - Kenichi Tsuda - Prof. Huazhong Agricultural University - China

• Keynote Session 2: Current and Future Strategies for the Development of Biosolutions in the Context of Climate Change

  • Advancing beyond sustainability: Cultivating true Agricultural Resilience - Luc Maertens - Eléphant Vert

  • Biocontrol 4.0: Novel Approaches, Including Digital Tools, to Advance Innovative BiosolutionsPhilippe Jacques - LipoFabrik

• Keynote Session 3: AI-guided studies of plant immunity - Sophien Kamoun - Prof U. Of  East Anglia - The Sainsbury Lab

• Keynote Session 4:

  • Translating the plant microbiome for health issues - Gabriele Berg - Prof. Gratz University - Austria

  • Unlocking the Plant Immune System: Metabolomic and Functional Insights into Mycorrhiza-Induced Resistance Against Herbivores - Victor Flors - Universitat Jaume

  • Bio-inputs projects at ARD - Guillaume Lamy - ARD

• Keynote Session 5:

  • From sample to spin out: making the most of your intellectual property - Ben Tolley - MewBurns Ellis

  • Biostimulants and Biocontrol: From Lab to Label - Marise Borja - Syntech Research Group

  • Innovation Awards + Poster Award

Dive into our technical sessions covering our core topics:

• Session 1 — Biosolutions for Cereals and Seed Protection

  • Biocontrol Activity of a Bacillus velezensis 221–Based Product Against Economically Important Plant Diseases

    Oleksandr Ronsevych - BTU Biotech

  • SeedBioProtect project: Evaluation of seed treatment to control damping off in wheat and tomato
    Klervi Crenn - Vegenov

  • Exploring the Biocontrol Potential of Lipopeptides and Rhamnolipids Against Zymoseptoria tritici in Wheat
    Alexander Govin-Sanjudo - University of Reims-Champagne Ardenne

  • Exploring the wheat microbiome to improve nutrition and disease biocontrol under reduced-input agriculture

    Salomé Lengrand - UC Louvain

  • Antifungal activity, protection efficacy, and modes of action of the lipopeptide fengycin produced by Bacillus subtilis on the wheat-Zymoseptoria tritici pathosystem
    Charly Lamquin - Junia

  • Synergistic Biocontrol of Septoria Tritici Blotch in Wheat by Bacillus velezensis BE2 and Burkholderia Strains

    Gnimavo Bonaventure Kenou - University of Reims-Champagne Ardenne
    _______

• Session 2 — Priming and Abiotic Stress Resilience

  • Multi-Omics Insight into Algi-up®–Induced Drought Resilience in Wheat

    Maksym Korniichuk - Fytofend

  • Priming ‘M9’ apple rootstock plants for enhanced tolerance to drought
    Tony Reglinski -NZ nstitute for Bioeconomy Science LTD

  • A soil-applied prebiotic enhances maize drought resilience through improved plant-microbe interactions

    Abdelrahman Alahmad - UniLasalle

  • A plant-based biostimulant modulates grapevine susceptibility within a realistic water stress window through priming and phenylpropanoid pathway regulation

    Théo Poucet - INRAE

  • Towards the development of new molecular markers for evaluating the effectiveness of biosolutions against copper-related abiotic stress

    Quentin Lemoine - Université de Perpignan

  • Microalgae Bioactive to Enhance Metabolic and Biochemical Pathways in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: new approach to Improve Quality and Quantity of Metabolites and Essential Oils

    HasnaaLahchimi - Mohamed VI Polytechnic
    _______

• Session 3 — Botanical Biopesticides and Natural Antifungal Compounds

  • Essential Oils as Multi-Target Natural Pesticides: A Fifteen-Year Journey from Lab to Market
    Haïssam Jijakli - University of Liège

  • Selective ingestion-based essential oil bioinsecticide for sustainable control of Myzus persicae in sugar beet
    Judie Henry - INCérès

  • Mode of action and selectivity of a plant extract-based biocontrol targeting Phytophthora infestans
    Adrien Gauthier - UniLasalle

  • Comparative metabolomic profiling of Lupinus albus and L. angustifolius harvest residues: Exploring chemical diversity and valorization potential
    Salma Halime - Luxembourg Institute of Science & Technology/University of Reims-Champagne Ardenne

  • Alcoholic extracts of Russian sage suppress Plasmopara viticola infections in grapevine

    Anna Smaldone - University of Trento

  • Exploring a green alga isolated from the Negev desert for sustainable biological control of soil-borne diseases

    Samuel Nomo - Ben Gurion University

  • Development of an essential oil-based botanical fungicide to control grey mold disease Botrytis cinerea
    Salahddine Chafiki - Mohamed VI Polytechnic

  • Deciphering the antifungal mode of action of rhamnolipids and fengycins on Sclerotiniaceae fungi
    Sonia Rippa - UTC
    _______

• Session 4 — Microbiome Engineering and Community Ecology

  • Leveraging high-resolution DNA sequencing and AI-based bioinformatics to identify next-generation biosolutions from soil microbiome for sustainable agriculture
    Sandrine Claus - Starfish

  • Multikingdom Soil Microbiome Assembly and Functional Thresholds Under Long-Term Agricultural Management Across Europe

    Muhammad Tayyab - URCA

  • Engineering bioactive biochars through beneficial microbial inoculation to enhance crop resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses

    Romaric A. Mouafo Tchinda - Biopterre & Najat Nassr - Rittmo

  • Biochemical characterisation of bacterial proteases and their influence on plant nitrogen acquisition
    Laura Merx - University of Koeln

  • Distinct ecological drivers structure bacterial and fungal phyllosphere communities across cultivation systems

    Brianne Newman - University of Antwerp

  • Strawberry rhizosphere metagenomes reveal management- and cultivar-dependent restructuring of bacterial communities

    Sana Mounaimi - Mohamed VI Polytechnic

  • Synergistic effects of treated wastewater irrigation and Trichoderma harzianum inoculation on growth and yield of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)
    Mohammed Ibriz - Ibn Tofail University

  • The Predator/Prey or Parasitoid/Host ratio: a more realistic approach interpreting toxicity data of Plant Protection Products on beneficial organisms under practical conditions
    Guido Sterk - IPM Impact
    _______

• Session 5 — Microbial Biocontrol Discovery and Strain Performance

  • Discovery of a novel Rhizobiales strain exhibiting broad-spectrum biocontrol against five distinct plant diseases

    Akira Kawaguchi - NARO

  • Explaining the biocontrol efficacy of Willaertia magna C2c Maky lysate
    Sandrine Troussieux - Amoeba

  • Identification of genes involved in prolonged survival of M. pulcherrima cells

    Anaïs Feuillet - Agroscope

  • Avoiding the in planta bottleneck: citizen science–enabled discovery of phyllosphere-adapted Lactobacillaceae for microbial biocontrol

    Jari Temmermans - University of Antwerp

  • Genomic and Phenotypic Profiling of Pseudomonas koreensis Strain 66.Ms.04 CCMM/039 As a Bicontrol Agent against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Ciceris

    Kaouthar Loubna El Bey - Mohamed VI Polytechnic

  • Variable mycoparasitic performance across Trichoderma atroviride strains: genomic and transcriptomic approaches uncover molecular bases of parasitic efficiency against plant pathogens

    Etienne Bremand - IRHS
    _______

• Session 6 — Industrializing and Scaling Biosolutions

  • Selection of new microbial plant protection strains for EU markets: regulatory and manufacturing challenges
    Felipe Cortés - Knoell France

  • Biopesticides: Patent‑Based Indicators of Innovation and the EU’s Transition Beyond Conventional Pesticides

    Emilio Rodriguez Cerezo - European Commission Joint Research Centre

  • From Lab to Field: A Scalable Biopolymer-Based Bioreactor Platform for High-Quality Production of AMF and Biocontrol Fungi
    Alejandro del Barrio Duque - Evologic

  • Selection of active bioproducts for PHA-based delivery systems
    María Sánchez-García - Agronova Biotech

  • Sustainable and biodegradable bacteria microencapsulation using chitosan for agriculture applications
    Lorelei Meyer-Déru - Biomanity

  • Biologicals: the future or simply catching up?
    Peter Young - Centre for Process Innovation
    _______

• Session 7 — Induced Resistance in Crop Protection

  • Romeo®, a well-characterized plant defense stimulator, is a biocontrol solution for effectively managing treatment strategies for vegetable crops, vines and berries against the main foliar fungal diseases
    Patricia Letousey -Agrauxine

  • Cold-tolerant bacteria isolated from alpine Rosaceous plants mitigate cold stress in apple and strawberry plants through complex transcriptional reprogramming

    Michele Perazzolli- University of Trento

  • Mycorrhiza-Induced Resistance (MIR) Against Botrytis cinerea is Orchestrated by the Systemin Signaling Cascade

    Paloma Sánchez Bel - Universitat Jaume I

  • Application of seaweed extracts increased the resistance of grapevine infected with downy and powdery mildew
    Seyed Hosseini - Olmix

  • Deciphering Metabolic Reprogramming in Mycorrhizal Plants to Understand Spider Mite Resistance in Tomato: from individual plants to plant community
    Polyxeni Gorgia - Universitat Jaume I

    _______

• Session 8 — Immune Activation and Defence Signalling

  • VvLYKs: Functional characterization of LysM Receptor-Like Kinases in Vitis vinifera and their role in grapevine immunity
    Tania Marzari - Universty of Bourgogne

  • DNA-triggered immunity in plants is mediated by the DNA damage response
    Isaac Vega Muñoz - Universitat Jaume I

  • Transcriptional Modulation of defence pathways to stress in Grapevine following a biostimulant application

    Asia Mostacci - University of Bari

  • Revisiting the role of jasmonate in plant defense against Meloidogyne graminicola in rice
    Ibe Naessens - University of Ghent

  • In-depth characterization of DNA-damage response system and its implications on innate immunity in Solanum lycopersicum
    Juan José Soria Cañamás - Universitat Jaume I
    _______

• Session 9 — Specialty Crops, Insect Challenges and Applied Biocontrol

  • Biocontrol in Greenhouse and Field Trials: Micropeptide-Based Solutions for Disease Management (MPD-01 & Next-Generation AMPs) and Outlook on Krisalix™-Enabled Innovation
    Martina Beck - Micropep

  • From concept to emerging solutions: engineered enzymes against phytopathogens
    David Daudé - Genes & GreenTK

  • NOVAPROTEC: A BIosolution For Fruit Fly control
    Jean-François Dussart - LipoFabrik

  • Biocontrol of the Fall armywarm Spodoptera frugiperda with entomophagous fungi and environmental security testing on honeybees
    François Lefort - HEPIA

  • Root endophytes for Sustainable Management of Fusarium Wilt in Banana
    Salomé Thonon - UC Louvain

  • Biointensive urban gardening as a replicable framework for biocontrol innovation and functional biodiversity: Insights from a Campus Living Lab

    Maria Ojog - U. Bucharest

  • Beyond Copper: In Vitro and In Planta Efficacy of the essential oil-based Formulation ND24_55 Against Downy Mildew of grapevine
    Vincenzo Mondello - University of Reims-Champagne Ardenne
    _______

• Session 10 — Grapevine and Perennial Crop Biosolutions

  • EVERVIGNE project: Identification of potential biocontrol agent to control downy mildew in Champagne area

    Lisa Sanchez - University of Reims-Champagne Ardenne

  • Steering the Grapevine Microbiome Against Downy Mildew: From Epidemiological and Evolutionary Data to the Design of Biocontrol Synthetic Microbial Communities (SynComs)

    Corinne Vacher - INRAE Bordeaux

  • Exploiting the grapevine endosphere for the biological control of grapevine trunk disease pathogens

    Andrea Manzoni - University of Torino

  • Evaluation of Sakuranetin Antifungal Activity Against Plasmopara viticola as a Sustainable Alternative to Synthetic Fungicides

    Corentin Griffon - University of Reims-Champagne Ardenne

  • Isolation and evaluation of the biocontrol potential of Trichoderma citrinoviride against Neofusicoccum parvum in Montenegro

    Kandic Bogoljub - University of Montenegro

  • Fungicide resistant and plant defense-promoting Trichoderma spp. selected from Chilean vineyard: A field effective biocontrol strategy against hypervirulent Botrytis cinerea

    Claudio Osorio Navarro - University of Chile

  • Apple fruit is a rapid model to assess Neofusicoccum parvum virulence and phytotoxin production

    Idir Saber - University of Reims-Champagne Ardenne
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• Session 11 — Digital Phenotyping, Diagnostics and Data Tools

  • A Specialized Service Platform for Microbial Biocontrol Product Authentication
    Mathieu Delitte - Centre wallon de Recherches Agronomiques

  • Standardizing Digital Phenotyping for Variety Testing: From EPPO Guidelines to Regulatory Deployment
    Marc Labadie- Hiphen

  • Development of an Interactive Platform for Processing Soil–Plant Interactions Data Using Artificial Intelligence

    Hicham El Khalil - University of Cadi Ayyad

  • Beyond the Naked Eye: Mitigating Risk and Capturing Hidden Efficacy in Biostimulant Development through Automated 3D Phenotyping
    Kevin Fernandes - Phenospex

  • From screening to validation: integration of high-throughput phenotyping and eco-physiological assessment in biostimulant development

    Marcelo Deandra - Plant Flow Solutions

  • AGRIPOLHYS project: Development of early detection of tomato phytopathogens with molecular and biochemical tools

    Claudie Monot - Vegenov
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• Session 12 — Biostimulants, Biofertility and Natural Resources

  • The Biocontrol and Biostimulant Effects of Hungarian Endophytic Trichoderma Strains and Marketed Product

    Erzsébet Karaffa - U. Debrecen

  • Expanding the frontiers of urine upcycling: fertilizer or biostimulant?

    Hany Abdo  - Toopi Organics

  • From cell wall oligomers to climate-resilient crops: A new generation of single molecule biostimulant
    Claire Leclef - Fyteko

  • A Bio-based Delivery Platform for Biostimulants, Nutrients and Biological Crop Protection: Multi-Factor Protection Enabling Stress-Resilient Crop Establishment
    Philip Kaenel - Fraunhofer IME

  • Pyroligneous acid from pyrolysis of aspen poplar sawmill residues as biostimulant: evaluation of its agronomic and environmental (GHG reduction) potential

    Sébastien Lange - Biopterre

  • Forest resources as biostimulant to support agriculture

    Nathalie Bourdeau - Innofibres

  • Chitosan and Seaweed Extract as Biostimulants in Plant Cell and Tissue Culture: Modulation of Plant Defense and Stress Response Mechanisms
    Chatchawal Wongchai - University of Phayao