On 23 April 2025, MATGLOW successfully delivered the setup developed for the green house at the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), allowing the PhD student to begin experimental trials as part of his thesis: UVFRIO - UV Friend of the Vine, funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT).
The vine is affected by various diseases (grey mould and downy mildew) and pests (grape moth and leafhopper) that require the application of fungicides and insecticides with ecotoxic active substances that can destroy auxiliary fauna. Thus, this project aims to mitigate grapevine diseases in a sustainable and innovative way by exploring physiological and biochemical mechanisms capable of inducing plant resistance using ultraviolet (UV) light. The PhD student, enrolled at the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), is supervised by the Centre for Research and Agro-environmental and Biological Technologies and co-supervised by MATGLOW.
