3rd Research Plan

3rd Research Plan

1. The general framework | 2. The 3rd Research Plan for Catalonia (2001-2004)

2.4.2.1. Food and Agricultural Sciences

The activities within this Selected Area will be the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Generalitat de Catalunya.

Objectives

Promoting collaboration and co-ordination between active public institutions in the field of food and agriculture research (IRTA -Food and Agriculture Research and Technology Institute-, universities, other public centres) and improving their links to business.
Mapping public sector R&D activities in the Catalan food and agriculture sector.
Consolidating and extending the activities of the Centre of Technological Reference for Food Technology (CERTA) and the Centre of Reference in Aquaculture (CRA).
Realigning the policies of the Centre of Reference in Biotechnology (CERBA) in the light of the projects currently being developed in Catalonia, and draft an action plan for plant bio-technology based on collaboration between universities, CSIC and IRTA.
Give recognition to The Animal Health Research Centre (CRESA) as one of the Reference Centres.

Lines of action

Saving and efficient use of irrigation water. Methods and systems for improving efficiency in the use of irrigation water. Determining the amount of water required by the main crops. Methods of control and automation of irrigation. Introduction of advisory plans for irrigation in the main water using communities. Determining the most efficient irrigation strategies to tackle situations of extreme drought. Programmes of adaptable, applied research and demonstration projects for currently un-irrigated zones.

Sustainable production. Further development of sustainable agricultural approaches and methods. Promotion of sustainable production methods in the agro-industries. Use of environmentally friendly chemical products. Improvement in the look, taste and smell of consumer products and improved consumer safety. Improving the management of highly intensive and technical horticulture. Reduction of environmental risks (pollutants, exploitation of low-quality water reserves, concentration of production, reduction of energy use, etc.).

Improvements in farming, land use and reclamation. Use of environmentally friendly technologies and policies to control the use of 'invasive' animal and vegetable species, to encourage the sustainable use of resources and to promote the re-vegetation of coastlines, river beds and road sides.

Animal production. Assessment, selection and improvement of local pig varieties. Increase the use of genetic selection techniques. Increase the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and advanced management tools to help decision making in the pork products sector.

Animal nutrition. Nutritional evaluation (in vivo and in vitro) of raw materials and of complete diets. Nutritional evaluation of additives and complementary products. Study and development of new additives. Feed stuff processing technology. Alternative to growth-boosting antibiotics. Evaluation of new feeding strategies for food production to address the specific needs of certain sections of the human population.

Animal health. Development of new technologies for molecular diagnosis. Genotyping infectious agents and identification of virulence markers. Investigate mechanisms of resistance to anti-microbial substances. Mechanisms of pathogenesis of micro-organisms. Detection and control of zoonoses (the diseases humans catch from animals).The immune response mechanism in selected animal species. Development of recombinant vaccines and recombinant DNA. Strengthening of vaccinal immunity. Alternative techniques for experimentation with animals.

Aquaculture. Development of culture technologies (breeding and rearing) for commercial species of fish. Evaluation and improvement of productivity in areas of traditional shellfishing. Control and monitoring of aquatic environments.

Technology and engineering for food manufacture. Food security. Control of emerging pathogens in food. Application of new technologies to the preservation and security of food. Minimisation of oxidation. Technology and engineering of food processes. Development of new food processes and new products. On-line systems for quality control (robotics, artificial vision, sensors and others).Qualitative analysis and consumer tests. Molecular techniques applied to test the authenticity of certain foods.

New technologies for the improvement and reproduction of vegetable and animal genotypes. Development of improved plant and animal germ-plasma by incorporating new commercial characteristics. Development of methods for better selection and evaluation of germ-plasma. Identification of genes or genetic sequences responsible for key commercial characteristics. Discovery of varieties that are tolerant to biotic or a-biotic stress. Assessment of the bio-security of transgenic animals and plants.