The project entitled “Crucial, long-term collaborations for the development of an innovative, ecological approach in biostimulants production” is implemented by 4 universities. The project leader is the University of Life Sciences in Lublin (Poland) and the partners are: University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice (Czech Republic), Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra (Slovakia), Universidad del Salvador (Argentina).

Project implementation began on July 1, 2022 and the planned completion date is June 30, 2024. NAWA has allocated the amount of PLN 1,044,492.21 for the implementation of individual tasks.

The aim of the project is to strengthen strategic partnerships through the implementation of joint research and its dissemination for the development of long-term interactions for the development of sustainable agriculture. It also aims to integrate the scientific community for the effective use of solutions created by science that could be adapted in the global economy. The results of the project will be achieved through the joint implementation of a sequence of research tasks, the organization of an international conference and the publication of articles, as well as the creation of a website, for presenting the current progress of research results. To achieve the goal, internationalization tools will be used in the form of a summer and winter school, as well as visits to companies, producing biostimulants. This will allow the establishment of cooperation with the economic environment for the implementation of research results. A beneficial effect of the project will be the development of a strategy for long-term cooperation, which will result in the submission of international projects, raising the visibility of the scientists’ work by publishing research results in an international team and acquiring knowledge and skills for implementing scientific ideas.

The above goal will be achieved through 10 tasks:

1. Management of an international team for joint research and dissemination of research results (coordinator Prof. Slawomir Kocira).
2. Evaluation of the effects of cold plasma on the activity of an ecological biostimulant and analysis of the chemical composition of the biostimulant (Ing. Jan Bárta, PhD).
3. Analysis of physical properties and bioactive compounds of cold plasma-activated biostimulant (coordinator Michal Świeca, PhD, UP professor).
4. Testing of plasma-activated biostimulant on plant phytopathogens and soil edaphic (coordinator Andrea Bohatá, Ph.D.).
5. Study of growth and development of soybean plants after biostimulant application (coordinator doc. dr hab. Agnieszka Szparaga).
6. Analysis of gene expression in soybean plants after biostimulant application (coordinator dr Magdalena Sozoniuk).
7. Development and implementation of a strategy for dissemination of research results (coordinator Prof. Slawomir Kocira, Ph.D.).
8. Organization of study visits (coordinator Anna Krawczuk, Ph.D.).
9. Winter school “The potential of cold plasma for the sustainable development of agriculture” as a tool for internationalization ( Andrea Bohatá, Ph.D.).
10. Summer school “The biostimulants and other modern solutions for the sustainable development of agriculture” as a tool for internationalization (coordinator Ing. Pavol Findura, PhD).