2025 APSA Seed Technology Webinar - Session 2 22 May 2025 from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm (GMT+7)

Speaker Profile & Abstract

Dr. Helena Freitas
Centre for Functional Ecology - Science for People & the Planet
University of Coimbra, Portugal

Profile:
Helena Freitas received her PhD in Ecology from the University of Coimbra, in collaboration with the University of Bielefeld, Germany, in 1993, and did postdoctoral studies at Stanford University, USA, between 1994 and 1996. She is Full Professor of Biodiversity and Ecology at the Department of Life Sciences of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra since 2003 and holds the UNESCO Chair in Biodiversity and Conservation for Sustainable Development since 2014. In November 2022 she received the "Inspiring Portugal" Award - Personality of the Year in the Sustainability category (Santander). In 2024, she awarded the EEF Ernst Haeckel Award for her contributions to the European ecological science.

Barry Hoff
Lead Research Scientist
Incotec

Profile:
Barry Hoff is a Lead Research Scientist at Incotec, with a background rooted in agriculture. Growing up in a family of cauliflower farmers, Barry developed an early interest in understanding the processes behind plant growth. This curiosity led him to pursue a degree in biotechnology, ultimately shaping his career in the seed sector with a strong focus on sustainable food production.

In recent years, Barry’s work has concentrated on developing seed treatments that help young plants cope with osmotic stress. Through this research, he and his team at Incotec have recognized the significant impact of climate change on agricultural practices. This has prompted a shift towards addressing the increasing challenges of abiotic stress in agriculture, with the goal of developing seed treatments to mitigate these stresses.

Carola Peters
Lead Application Scientist
Incotec 

Profile:
Carola Peters is a Lead Research Scientist at Incotec, specializing in biologicals. With a degree in biotechnology and over a decade of experience in the application of biologicals on seeds. Her work focuses on ensuring the safe application of microorganisms on seeds, as well as enhancing on-seed viability and subsequent outgrowth of the microorganisms from film coats or pellets. The team at Incotec works with a wide range of microorganisms, each requiring different application techniques. This diversity underscores the importance of tailored approaches in their research, as there is no one-size-fits-all solution when working with microorganisms.

Abstract:
Abiotic stress, caused by factors such as drought, salinity, temperature extremes, and nutrient imbalances, poses a significant challenge to agricultural productivity worldwide. 

Latest research show that Europe is experiencing the highest increase in severe weather patterns. Combined with ever-stricter policies regarding the use of actives within European Union it is necessary to look for innovative solutions.

In this context, the use of biologicals in seed treatments has emerged as a promising solution. Biological agents, such as beneficial microorganisms, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), and natural biochemicals, can enhance plant resilience to abiotic stress by improving nutrient uptake, regulating water balance, and stimulating stress tolerance mechanisms at the cellular level. At Incotec one of our focusses in our research is to increase the viability of these biological agent when applied on seeds. 

To better understand the impact of our products on mitigating abiotic stress it also is important to study stress responses. One basic response is the increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) within the plants and how this response impacts the phenotypical development of the plant. By combining our knowledge in plant stress response and biological viability we can more efficiently steer our developments in mitigating abiotic stress in young plants. 

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