Ghent, Belgium
December 12, 2024
Eurochem ISP, a Flemish leader in seed coating technology, is pioneering a groundbreaking project to develop innovative seed coatings enriched with plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs).
This initiative aims to enhance seed germination and crop resilience, addressing critical challenges in global agriculture, including climate change and environmental sustainability.
Faced with the global demand to increase food production while reducing the environmental impact of farming, Matthijs Van Hooste will develop innovative seed coating formulations for PGPRs in the framework of his PhD.
The project builds on Eurochem ISP’s expertise in seed coating, complemented with the UGent expertise on microbiome ecosystems (Professor Caroline De Tender) and the VIB expertise (Professor Sofie Goormachtig) on plant-microbe interactions.
The aim of the project is to improve germination rates and stress tolerance under challenging conditions, including drought via novel formulation technologies for microorganisms.
In the PhD, new microbiomes will be isolated and combined with well characterized bacterial strains from the private Ghent University collection StrainInsight.
The PhD study will start on 1 January 2025 and is financially sponsored by Eurochem ISP with the funding of VLAIO, the Flemish Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship,
“This initiative reflects Eurochem ISP’s commitment to sustainable innovation and its ambition to become a leading player in agricultural technology,” says Sylvie Weckx
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