New pests, new responses: Futureco Bioscience joins HARMONY to develop new crop protection solutions

New Pests, New Responses: Futureco Bioscience Joins HARMONY to Develop New Crop Protection Solutions

A €1.77 Million Multidisciplinary Project Uniting Biocontrol, Biopesticides, and Semiochemicals for Citrus and Pepper Crops

Driven by the spread of invasive pests, extreme weather conditions, and stricter regulatory frameworks, the agricultural sector is undergoing a profound transformation. To address these rising phytosanitary challenges, Futureco Bioscience has joined the HARMONY project (Holistic Approach for managing emerging organisms through synergy of biocontrol agents, biopesticides, and semiochemicals).

About the HARMONY Project

Running for 36 months from October 2025 to September 2028 with a total budget of €1,773,859.74, HARMONY brings together three leading agri-biotechnology companies—Agrobio S.L. (Coordinator), Futureco Bioscience S.A., and SEDQ HEALTHY CROPS S.L.—alongside four research institutions: the Technical University of Cartagena, IQAC-CSIC, the University of Almería, and the University of Barcelona. Initially, the project focuses heavily on citrus and pepper crops facing intense pressure from emerging pests like Thrips parvispinus and Delottococcus aberiae.

“The sector currently has different tools available for pest control, but new phytosanitary challenges require us to go beyond the solutions already available. HARMONY is working on the development of new solutions and their integration, with the aim of advancing towards crop protection programmes that are more effective, consistent and easier to apply in the field.”

— Carolina Fernández, Vice President of Scientific Affairs, Futureco Bioscience

Futureco Bioscience’s Key Role

As a specialist in biopesticide research, development, formulation, and scale-up, Futureco Bioscience contributes extensive expertise across microorganisms, microbial metabolites, botanical extracts, proteins, and RNAi-based technologies. Key contributions include:

Active Ingredient Discovery: Identifying, producing, and characterizing new active ingredients while optimizing production processes and stability parameters.
Ex Vivo & Formulation Testing: Collaborating with the Technical University of Cartagena and the University of Barcelona to design and test liquid and solid formulation prototypes.
Compatibility & Pilot Scale Production: Studying compatibility with natural enemies alongside Agrobio and producing pilot-scale formulations for field trials in citrus and pepper crops.

“Moving from coexistence to synergy in sustainable crop protection.”