The state government of Santa Catarina, through Epagri, will invest R$7.87 million, equivalent to about US$1.57 million, over the next two years in research projects supported by scholarships. The program focuses on innovation across key agricultural and aquaculture production chains in the state.
The initiative aims to develop applied research addressing the main demands of rural producers, with the objective of maintaining production competitiveness and strengthening agriculture in Santa Catarina. Funding is provided through a partnership between Epagri, the State Secretariat of Agriculture and Livestock (SAPE), and the Foundation for Research and Innovation Support of the State of Santa Catarina (Fapesc), under Public Call for Proposals Fapesc No. 44/2025.
"This investment is unprecedented in Epagri's history," said Dirceu Leite, president of Epagri. "Agriculture has a strategic position in the Santa Catarina economy and needs to be in constant evolution. This is only possible with innovation."
The program includes 54 projects covering all Epagri research units in the state. Activities are organised into four main research lines focusing on apple diseases, Piwi grape varieties, productive arrangements in agriculture, and strategies to improve agricultural competitiveness.
To support these activities, a public call will be launched for 92 scholarships across different disciplines, including agronomy, animal science, biological sciences, forestry engineering, and veterinary medicine. Each call will be managed by the researcher coordinating the respective project and will follow a defined dissemination schedule.
Apple production is a major focus area. Santa Catarina accounts for 51 per cent of national apple output. Research projects aim to improve phytosanitary management, maintain fruit quality, and support sustainability in the cultivation of apple varieties grown in the state.
According to Epagri research director Reney Dorow, apples illustrate the impact of sustained investment in research. "Until the 1980s, Brazil was insignificant in apple production. Thanks to a fruit improvement program in the country, initiated in the 1990s, we became self-sufficient and went from being an importer to an exporter of the fruit," he said.
Current research targets two key challenges for apple growers: Glomerella Leaf Spot and Carpel Rot. Studies will assess management systems to control both diseases, with field work conducted in São Joaquim and Fraiburgo to evaluate different plant protection approaches.
Another project centres on Piwi wine grape varieties resistant to downy mildew and powdery mildew. Eleven varieties from Italy and Germany will be introduced and tested. Growers already producing Piwi grapes, such as Calardis Blanc and Felicia, will receive technical support in agronomy and oenology.
"The apple and piwi grape research projects are examples that clearly show how the company operates in the innovation process: applied research is based on the premise of solving the real and urgent problems of rural producers in Santa Catarina," Leite said.
Source: Fruit Journal / Abrafrutas
