Camila Levy, R&D Manager at Tradecorp, speaks about the collaborative research projects with Landlab

Date:06-05-2020

Tradecorp recently released an infrared timelapse video that shows the “invisible” abiotic stresses caused by drought. This video was the result of a long standing collaboration between Tradecorp and Landlab, a leading Italian agricultural research centre.

Tradecorp’s Global R&D Manager talks more about the collaborative research projects between Tradecorp and Landlab.

Question – The new video is a recent example of Tradecorp’s collaboration with Landlab, but the relationship with them goes back much further, can you tell us a bit more about the history of collaboration between the two entities?

Answer – The Strategy and Innovation Director in Tradecorp, José Nolasco, has a longstanding professional relationship with Adriano Altíssimo, CEO of Landlab. This led to a formalized collaborative contract in 2015 between our Global R&D Department and Landlab. It is a relationship that is truly pan European in scope; Tradecorp is a Spanish based company, part of our many biostimulant discoveries resulted from this, and other collaborative projects between us, for example, better understanding of the synergies and antagonisms of different types of biostimulants when they are applied at the same time to stressed plants.

Q. - You mention some of the discoveries and benefits gained from the Landlab collaboration of the past 5 years. How has this contributed to Tradecorp’s knowhow in general?

A. - By using Landlab’s team and expertise, our internal Global R&D Department can utilise their expertise and facilities without the need for us to recreate it inhouse. For example, the Landlab team can perform multiscreening trials in plants that gives us the capability to screen multiple raw materials, new mixes and products against our existing benchmark products. We also collaborate on in depth literature reviews, to collate current knowledge and information on new raw materials that we might incorporate into our products and portfolio. This allows us to start our research with the most up to date knowledge, avoids reinventing the wheel, as well as saving both time and money. Landlab also have excellent experience in testing our proposed new product solutions in field trials. This enables us to cover a wider geography, and climate, and ensures the solutions we bring to market work across a wide area range of different scenarios and situations.

In fact, the collaboration with Landlab has developed to the stage that it is more like a partnership. Key internal and external clients from Tradecorp have visited their facilities several times and during these visits both the Landlab team, and our Global R&D team, co-presented technical seminars. We also recently held one of our Agronomical Working Group meetings, which is a meeting of our best company agricultural experts from around the globe, at the Landlab facilities.

Q. - Apart from the infrared timelapse video about the effects of drought, what other specific projects have been developed with Landlab?

A. - Apart from the drought timelapse video, we previously developed a different time-lapse video demonstrating the effect of Humic Acids on germinating maize seedlings roots. Many people know Humics Acids increase root growth, however this can take a long time to explain via graphs and charts during a presentation. In this video, that is only 30 seconds long, the effect of the Humic Acids is clear to see and it is a very effective way of bringing to life and visualising a topic that can be complex to explain.

Other completed projects include, several trials to check the effect of different mixtures and combinations of seaweeds and amino acids, trials and development work on some new biostimulants that we have in the pipeline, effect of drought stress in pot, plot and field trials, as well as the study of our new chelate IsliFe 8.2. We have also collaborated on full field trials in cherry, potato, grape, and several other crops as part of various projects.

Q. - And what projects are happening right now? And what projects are going to come to light in the near future?

A. - Right now the focus is on the multiscreening drought stress trials, principally in lettuce and tomato. This helps us in the development and proofing of new products optimised to manage this type of abiotic stress. These multiscreening trials will later evolve into semi-field trials and finally full field trials that will test some of our proposed solutions. The objective is always to increase our internal company knowledge, which allows us to deliver new solutions and / or enhanced technical support to our clients enabling them to produce both sustainably and profitably.

Global R&D is also working on Abiotic Stress Projects with other collaborators, such as QUB and the University of Milan, to help manage and reduce the effect of Salinity, Flooding, Cold, Frost and Heat through optimal biostimulation and nutritional management. Within our collaborating Research Centers, there are ongoing trials to test different application timings and to optimise product positioning. This will result in clear guidance on application timings and dosage for the new solutions that we will launch in the upcoming months. We also have embryo projects that will inform new product ideas, releases, or solutions in the medium term, for example secondary metabolites of bacterial fermentation are a new and promising potential source of raw materials for the next generation of biostimulants.

In the near term in the latter half of this year, Tradecorp and Landlab will also work on a European Project.

Q. - Can you tell us a bit more about this new European project?

A. - I would love to say more, and it is a really exciting initiative, but unfortunately the information cannot be disclosed for now. Come back to me in a few months when I can talk about these specific developments and I will more than happy to share information about this new challenging project.

If you want to know more about the latest project between Tradecorp and Landlab on the effect of drought stress on plants analyzed with thermal camera, click here.