Sustainable agriculture strategies have become central to European and global orientations as the demand of food increases with the rising world population. Current technologies qualitatively drive the application of Nitrogen (N)-fertilizers to stressed field areas but cannot precisely modulate the needed amount, resulting in dangerous N dispersion, ecological and economic losses. RE-IMAGINE-CROPS envisions applying basic plant science into crop management by quantitative “in-field” measurements of biophysical processes occurring at tissue and cellular level. The consortium will implement the first real-time in-field portable multimodal multiscale Positron Emission Tomography (PET)-Multiphoton Endoscope (ME) technology. PET measures the metabolic processes in the crops at the scale of hundreds of micrometers, while guiding the ME system to visualize functional mechanisms at a cellular level. The aim is to tailor the amount of fertilizer to be used by enabling measurement of functional processes reflecting the local and systemic crop signal pathways triggered by N-fertilizer shortly after application. RE-IMAGINE-CROPS involves real-time PET reconstruction, hydrodynamic modelling, optical fiber transmission optics, and features identification in multiple scales. It enables a new multimodal, mobile technology for the first time, with unprecedented spatial resolution (0.6 mm;1um) and real-time functionality at a rate of (2;10) Hz. These are enabled by a multimodal PET-ME tracer based on the Lifeact-Venus protein labeled with 89Zr. RE-IMAGINE-CROPS brings together eight institutions with leading scientists and cross-disciplinary expertise. Among them, EURO-BIOIMAGING ERIC and BFEDU, a large agrifood enterprise, will boost the impact and dissemination of this novel technology in to the European scientific and industrial landscape. On this basis, RE-IMAGINE-CROPS has the potential to support and shape the essential priorities in the EU’s future sustainable crop management.

The growth and yield of major cereals represents one of the key issues in food security, due to the abiotic andbiotic stress caused by climate change and desertification. PETAL proposes to measure the early changes of CO2 metabolism and water transport induced by stress in wheat using Positron Emission Tomography (PET). Novel functional imaging data correction andanalysis models are developed in order to have a quantitative interpretation of the PET images of wheat obtained with the RAYCAN digital E180 preclinical PET/CT scanner, the MOLECUBES beta- PET/CT preclinical scanner, a dedicated digital portable plant PET system and a portable Table-Top PET/ MRI scanner. Functional imaging data, conventional morphological and proteomics data and CT root images willbe collected at each stage of growth of the wheat under defined stress condition and after biostimulant treatment.This unprecedented unique dataset will be analyzed using new High-Performance Computing approaches,in order to define a new set of measurable quantities, which are affected by stress at the early stage of the plant development. On this basis, the PETAL consortium will generate a SME/academic platform providing servicesfor wheat growth early analysis in agriculture. PETAL builds on the cross-disciplinary expertise of the partners in physics, technology, biology,agronomy, ecology, computing and software systems. Researchers involved in the 38 secondments will participate to the validation of PET as imaging technique for plants, to thedevelopment ofnovel PET data analysis algorithms and technologies, to the data collection and analysis. They will be trained in new technologies, experimental techniques in agriculture, data analysis, and algorithm implementation, in order to establish a multi- disciplinary working chain train personnel, and therefore prepare the sustainability of the project proposal. To complete the training offer, 3-montly webinars and yearly workshops are organized.

RUNFASTER4EU will demonstrate the sustainability and replicability at industrial scale (TRL8) of a new value chain focused on the large-scale cultivation of low-ILUC-risk oil crops on marginal lands, avoiding competition with food or feed. These crops will provide vegetable oils and residual biomass for high-value bio-based products (cosmetics formulations, bio-stimulants, feed ingredients, herbicides, dielectric fluids, bioplastics, NIPU for vertical gardens) in a cascading approach. Building on previous and ongoing EU projects (FIRST2RUN, BRILIAN, MIDAS, CARINA), RUNFASTER will i) enhance bio-based value chains, prioritizing soil health and carbon sequestration, ii) upgrade two flagship plants in Italy (Matrica - Porto Torres, Versalis - Crescentino) and iii) realize Large-scale cultivations, i.e., safflower (Carthamus tinctorius), validating innovative agronomic practices with farmer involvement. RUNFASTER partners will demonstrate downstream processing and cascading valorisation of biomass, with products tested by end-user industries to meet SSbD standards. Sustainability, circularity, and safety will be assessed via Life Cycle and Ecosystem Services methods. RUNFASTER will engage local communities, provide guidelines and training for farmers, and develop an IP-compliant exploitation strategy and business plan for replication. The approach will also be validated in Spain, Greece, Serbia, and Romania on fragile (i.e. contaminated) soils with other crops, such as cardoon and rapeseed.