ENDURE: an enduring network

The word ”endure” has several meanings such as withstand, survive and sustain. ENDURE is also the name of an EU project with a focus on integrated pest management (IPM), which began in 2007 and ended in 2010 but still endures. 

The background for the project was that the EU at that time was in the process of formulating the legislation regarding pesticides and their use which is valid today and which has resulted in, among other things, IPM being enshrined as a concept that all farmers in the EU must follow. 

ENDURE is a hub

In order to ease the implementation of the legislation, one of the things that was needed was a project that could refer IPM solutions to some of the most important pests in the EU. ENDURE was not only a research project but also focused on communication with users and the officials responsible for implementing IPM in each EU country. Fourteen research institutions, two advisory services, and the International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association (IBMA) took part in ENDURE.

When ENDURE ended in 2010 the participants, with the exception of one of the research institutions and IBMA, decided to continue with ENDURE as a network with the aim of  strengthening research and dissemination concerning IPM as well as influencing the political agenda and ensuring continued focus on IPM. 

Good networks lead to new projects

The latter led to, among other things, the fact that ENDURE has played an active role throughout the years in connection with the formulation of EU’s research programmes. In connection with calls with a focus on IPM, ENDURE has worked on getting consortia that could put in a bid off the ground. This came to fruition in connection with the project IWMPRAISE, which is led by AGRO and has just received a grant from the Horizon 2020 programme (read the article New times ahead for European weed management). 

Another result of collaboration in the ENDURE network was the establishment of a SCAR working group on IPM, which has since led to the EU ERA-net C-IPM, which ended at the end of 2016. One of the elements of C-IPM has been the issuing of calls for collaborative research projects in which at least three countries must participate. AGRO has a finger in the pie in five of the projects that either have already been launched or will be launched in the near future.  

Part of the ENDURE project was the establishment of a website. The intention was that this website – besides being the display window of the project – should be the site where you can find information about IPM. The website has been a success in every way and is today an important source of information about IPM. By drawing on all the good forces it has been possible to not only maintain the website but also to update it with current news and information so that the website is still relevant. 

Another ENDURE product is EUROWHEAT, in which AGRO has a large share. In this case too it has been possible to not only continue to develop the website where all information about diseases in wheat is gathered. EUROWHEAT is also the jumping off point for one of the projects that has been given a grant in the ERA-net C-IPM.  

Networks must be cared for

ENDURE is a good example of how important it is to nurture the research networks that AGRO takes part in. It also demonstrates how important it is to be willing to invest the time and resources that are necessary to ensure that AGRO maintains the same prominent position as the one we have had in ENDURE and C-IPM.

In a time when finances are crucial for a department such as AGRO, it is nice to see that a long-term investment in a research network has paid off.