EcoStack · Project

Biological Crop Protection Tools That Cut Pesticide Use While Keeping Yields Up

foodTestedTRL 5

ecostack-h2020.eu

Imagine your crops have their own security team — helpful insects that eat pests, bees that pollinate flowers, and soil microbes that make plants stronger. EcoStack figured out how to get all these natural allies working together on the same farm at the same time, instead of managing them one by one. They tested this across every climate zone in Europe on crops from wheat and potatoes to vineyards and olive orchards. They even built an image-based monitoring tool so farmers can track how many of these helpful organisms are actually showing up on their fields.

By the numbers

EUR 9,963,866

EU research investment

partner organizations in consortium

European countries covered

project deliverables produced

SME partners with industry know-how

The business problem

What needed solving

European farmers face a squeeze: pesticide regulations are tightening while pest damage and pollination failures threaten yields and profitability. Current biological alternatives are unreliable because they manage one ecosystem service at a time — pest control OR pollination — without understanding how these services interact and sometimes conflict on the same farm. Farmers need a tested, integrated approach that works across different crops and climates without gambling their harvest.

The solution

What was built

EcoStack produced 50 deliverables including a generic, low-maintenance image-based tool to track beneficial organism abundance across different soil-climate zones, and a precision agriculture decision tool that lets farmers link biodiversity inputs to yield map outputs using their own field data. The project mapped interactions between soil microbes, plants, herbivores, natural enemies, and pollinators across major European crops.

Audience

Who needs this

Agrochemical companies building biological crop protection product linesAgTech startups developing farm biodiversity monitoring platformsLarge organic farming cooperatives seeking science-backed pest managementFood retailers and brands needing supply chain sustainability evidenceAgricultural advisory services updating IPM recommendations for clients

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Crop protection and agrochemicals

enterprise

Target: Agrochemical companies developing integrated pest management product lines

If you are an agrochemical company looking to expand into biological crop protection — this project developed methods to combine biocontrol agents, plant defense priming, and pollinator management into a single farm-level system. Tested across 13 countries on major crops including oilseed rape, wheat, potato, tomato, and vineyards, these methods could help you build science-backed biological product bundles that replace or complement chemical inputs.

Precision agriculture technology

SME

Target: AgTech companies building farm monitoring and decision-support platforms

If you are an AgTech company building precision farming tools — this project created a generic, low-maintenance image-based tool that tracks beneficial organism abundance across different soil and climate zones. With data from farm networks covering all of Europe, this technology could plug into your existing platform to give farmers real-time visibility on their biological pest control and pollination status.

Organic and sustainable food production

mid-size

Target: Large-scale organic farming operations and food brands with sustainability commitments

If you are an organic farm or food brand struggling with pest damage and unreliable pollination without chemical inputs — this project mapped how beneficial insects, soil microbes, and pollinators interact across conventional and organic systems. With results validated across 22 partner organizations in 13 countries, these methods offer a tested playbook for boosting yields through functional biodiversity rather than agrochemicals.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement these biological crop protection methods on a commercial farm?

The project does not publish per-hectare implementation costs. However, the approach focuses on managing beneficial organisms already present within the field rather than purchasing external inputs, which suggests lower recurring costs compared to chemical alternatives. Contact the consortium for site-specific cost estimates.

Can these methods work at industrial scale across different climates?

Yes — EcoStack was specifically designed for scale. The project tested across all pedoclimatic production zones of Europe, covering 13 countries from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean. Crops ranged from arable (wheat, oilseed rape, potato) to horticultural (tomato) and permanent crops (vineyards, olive and fruit orchards, grassland).

Is the image-based monitoring tool available for licensing?

The project produced a generic, low-maintenance image-based tool to track ecosystem service provider abundance across different soil-climate zones. As a publicly funded RIA project (EUR 9,963,866), licensing terms would be set by the consortium led by Universita degli Studi di Napoli Federico II. Interested companies should contact the coordinator directly.

Does this comply with EU pesticide reduction regulations?

EcoStack aligns directly with the EU's goals to reduce pesticide dependency while maintaining crop productivity. The project explicitly aims to minimize environmental impacts of agriculture while ensuring farming profitability — matching the regulatory direction of the EU Farm to Fork strategy.

How long before a farm sees results after adopting these methods?

Based on available project data, the project ran from 2018 to 2024 across comprehensive farm networks. Specific timeline-to-benefit data is not published, but the focus on managing organisms already within the field (rather than establishing new refugia) suggests faster adoption compared to traditional habitat-based approaches.

Can this integrate with existing farm management systems?

The project developed a tool based on precision agriculture data that lets farmers link inputs — including functional biodiversity — to output yield maps using data from their own fields. This suggests compatibility with existing precision farming infrastructure and data workflows.

Is there ongoing support or training available?

The project included a dedicated work package on socio-economic questions including farmer uptake, and used comprehensive farm networks across Europe for demonstration. With 50 deliverables produced, substantial training and knowledge transfer materials exist through the consortium's 22 partner organizations.

Consortium

Who built it

The EcoStack consortium of 22 partners across 13 countries is heavily academic — 14 universities and 3 research organizations make up 77% of the partnership, with only 2 industrial partners (9% industry ratio). Both industrial partners are SMEs. This composition is typical of a research-stage project and means business adoption will require additional commercial development and packaging. The geographic spread from the Balkans to Scandinavia ensures the results are validated across diverse farming conditions, which is a strong selling point. The coordinator, University of Naples Federico II, is a large Italian research university — a business partner looking to commercialize these results would likely need to negotiate with multiple academic IP holders.

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI FEDERICO IICoordinator · IT
AARHUS UNIVERSITETparticipant · DK
JULIUS KUHN-INSTITUT BUNDESFORSCHUNGSINSTITUT FUR KULTURPFLANZENparticipant · DE
CENTRE FOR PROCESS INNOVATION LIMITED LBGparticipant · UK
HESSISCHES MINISTERIUM FUR LANDWIRTSCHAFT UND UMWELT, WEINBAU, FORSTEN, JAGD UND HEIMATparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITAT DE VALENCIAparticipant · ES
UNIVERZITET U BANJOJ LUCIparticipant · BA
UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNEparticipant · UK
LUONNONVARAKESKUSparticipant · FI
SVERIGES LANTBRUKSUNIVERSITETparticipant · SE
UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRAparticipant · PT
AGRAREN UNIVERSITET - PLOVDIVparticipant · BG
UNIVERSITAET KASSELparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONAparticipant · ES
FACULTY OF BIOLOGY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADEparticipant · RS
PROAGRIA KESKUSTEN LIITTO RYparticipant · FI
ROTHAMSTED RESEARCH LTDparticipant · UK
TURUN YLIOPISTOparticipant · FI
ISARAparticipant · FR
UNIWERSYTET JAGIELLONSKIparticipant · PL

How to reach the team

Coordinator is Universita degli Studi di Napoli Federico II (Italy). Use SciTransfer's coordinator lookup service to find the project lead's direct contact.

Order a report on this consortium See UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI FEDERICO II profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the EcoStack team? SciTransfer can connect you with the right researcher for your specific crop protection or biodiversity monitoring needs.

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