MGI Tech is backing the University of Lisbon in a ground-breaking study looking at how Saharan dust affects Portuguese soils and vineyards.
Saharan dust storms have jumped as much as 12 times, bringing tons of microorganisms into Portugal's farming areas.
The project uses fancy DNA sequencing to keep tabs on these microorganisms. The goal is to figure out any dangers and spot chances to use biotech to make vineyards stronger, boost grape quality, and keep soils healthy.
Portugal, especially the south, is right in the path of Saharan dust coming into Europe. This dust can really change the mix of microbes in the soil and plants, which can affect how fertile the land is, how well plants fight off diseases, and how much crops grow. The study wants to help farmers use farming methods that are better for the environment and more spot-on, and what they learn can be used for more than just vineyards.
Researchers at Ciências ULisboa are using MGI Tech's DNBSEQ-G99 sequencing to map out the microbes in dust, soil, and plants almost as it happens. This lets them quickly find any bad bugs and pick out the good ones.
According to Professor Ricardo Dias from the University of Lisbon, dust has two sides: it brings problems but also useful organisms. During Storm Celia, the team found a type of bacteria that could be used as a natural fertilizer, which shows why keeping an eye on these microbes is so useful.
This research could lead to farming that's super precise, like using groups of microbes to make vines stronger, get better grapes, and cut down on pesticides.
Duncan Yu, President of MGI, says that sequencing turns Saharan dust into information that can be used. He added that it starts with vineyards, but it could help all kinds of farming in the long run.
With Portugal's wine production down by 8% in 2024 and facing more and more climate issues, this project is a big move toward farming that can handle climate change and is driven by new ideas.
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