Sustainable biostimulant and bioprotective compound for rust control in organic farming system

• Grant number: 20/13565-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: February 01, 2022
• End date: January 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Geisa Lima Mesquita Zambrosi
• Grantee: Geisa Lima Mesquita Zambrosi
• Company: Geisa Lima Mesquita Zambrosi
• CNAE: Atividades de apoio à agricultura ; Fabricação de produtos químicos orgânicos não especificados anteriormente ; Pesquisa e desenvolvimento experimental em ciências físicas e naturais
• City: Piracicaba
• Associated researchers: Flávia Rodrigues Alves Patrício ; Oliveiro Guerreiro Filho
• Associated research grant(s): 23/04040-9 - Sustainable biostimulant and bioprotective compound for the control of fungal diseases in certified coffee production, AP.PIPE
• Associated scholarship(s): 21/14012-7 - Sustainable biostimulant and bioprotective compound for Rust Control in organic farming system, BP.PIPE; 21/14114-4 - Sustainable biostimulant and bioprotective compound for rust control in organic farming system, BP.TT

Abstract

The organic farming (OF) system has become an important component of the global food industry founded in more sustainable agricultural production, with worldwide growth rates of around 10% per year. However, this cultivation system has a limited number of products allowed to be used in crop protection. This includes the control of fungal diseases such as rust, a serious threat to agricultural crops worldwide. Currently, this disease is controlled with intensive use of synthetic fungicides in the conventional agriculture, which not only intensifies cases of resistance to the main molecules used but is highly toxic to the environment and to the farmer. In the OF, there are limited options for rust control, because despite the role of copper as plant micronutrient, its excessive use might cause phytotoxicity and environmental pollution. Therefore, there is a growing demand for products with effective bioprotective molecules, with low environmental impact that can be u sed in the sustainable control of diseases in OF. In view of such a need, Defense Fertilizer aims to develop an innovative biostimulant and bioprotective compound for foliar application in the control of plant fungal diseases. The formulation compounds have complementary modes of action that promote increased plant resistance to diseases: direct action against the pathogen and activation of the host’s natural defense mechanisms. Accordingly, it is expected to develop a biofungicide for agricultural production under OF that promotes: sustainable rust control, improvements in crop yield, greater net income for growers, reduction in production costs with disease control, lower dependence on products and technologies from abroad companies, and less environment impact and health impact for consumers and rural workers. The initial targeting of our product will be for coffee grown in the OF system, due to its high demand and the growing importance of this commodity for the Brazilian economy. In addition, coffee production represents 10% of Brazilian exports and the financial losses caused by rust reach $ 2 billion dollars yearly. The technical efficiency of the proposed product will be validated in a coffee cultivar susceptible to the rust-causing fungus (Hemileia vastatrix). It will be evaluated its protective and curative ability against the disease and its ability to promote an increase in plant productivity. Thus, it is expected to offer an effective alternative to rust control, using a sustainable biostimulant and bioprotective compound. This product might be also important to reduce the costs and offer a combined strategy with conventional pesticide technologies for the management of this important coffee disease, contributing for the provision a high value harvested crop. The projected results at the end of phase 1 are the demonstration of the technical feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed fungicide formulation for the control of coffee rust, as well as the identification of the most appropriate dose to be applied to achieve such an aim. (AU)