NAC products: combating plant diseases with agricultural sustainability

• Grant number: 19/11566-1
• Support type: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Duration: March 01, 2020 - February 28, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Cooperation agreement: FINEP - PIPE/PAPPE Grant
• Principal Investigator: Simone Cristina Picchi
• Grantee: Simone Cristina Picchi
• Company: Simone Cristina Picchi
• City: Araras
• Co-Principal Investigators: Francisco Humberto Henrique
• Assoc. researchers: Alessandra Alves de Souza ; Helvecio Della Coletta Filho ; Marcos Antonio Machado
• Associated research grant: 17/02733-6 - N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC): an antioxidant molecule for bacterial plant disease control, AP.PIPE

Abstract

As an alternative to chemical control and being more environmentally friendly, the startup CiaCamp - from Science to the Field, focused on agricultural research and development, developed products based on N-acetyl-cysteine, a cysteine analogue widely used in human health , due to its bactericidal and antioxidant action. Experiments with this molecule and the products developed by CiaCamp have already been studied and validated, with positive results in the control of CVC (caused by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa), citrus canker (caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas citri) and the reduction of the bacterial titer in plants infected with Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), a bacterium that causes HLB (greening). The NACagri decreased the bacterial titer in plants infected with CVC, reducing the symptoms and making possible the use of the fruit for the processing of juices, even in plants in advanced stages of infection. For citrus canker, the application of NACsolution was shown to be an alternative to the use of copper, preventing the progression of the disease. Already the use in healthy plants showed that the products of the line NAC improve the development and the fitness of the plants, resulting in an increase of productivity. Therefore, the proposal of this project is to take the products of the NAC line, developed during Phases 1 and 2 of PIPE-Fapesp, for the commercialization and effective entry into the agricultural market. (AU)