SBIR Phase II: Controlling plant pathogens with novel seed treatments based on nematode-produced ascarosides

这项小企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目的更广泛影响是开发一种新的种子处理技术，该技术基于天然存在的小分子，已被证明可以强烈激活植物对多种农业重要病原体的天然防御。所提出的创新在极低浓度下具有活性，可以很容易地大量合成，并且可生物降解且无毒。每年大约使用5亿公斤600多种不同的化学农药；这估计要花费100亿美元，但37%的农作物仍被害虫和病原体破坏。通过提供一种管理作物疾病的替代性有效方法，将减少对现有农用化学品、合成杀菌剂和抗生素的依赖，从而降低耐药性的发展速度。这项拟议的研究将确定天然小分子作为作物保护剂的可行性，并可以通过减少潜在有害农药的使用和显着加强全球粮食安全来改善农业的经济和环境可持续性。该项目旨在开发一种新的控制植物病原体的方法，方法是利用一类自然产生的小分子，在植物中引发特定的免疫反应。拟议的项目将展示一种能够在田间条件下长期稳定和有效的种子包衣配方，既不会对种子发芽/生长产生不利影响，也不会对天然微生物/昆虫种群产生不利影响。该项目的目标是：1)对小麦和大豆进行三种高影响病原体的多地点田间试验，以确认种子处理的效果；2)进行温室研究，以调查种子和喷雾处理的潜在协同效应，包括与其他作物保护剂联合使用；3)确定种子和喷雾处理对大豆线虫侵染的影响；4)对活性成分进行规模化化学合成，优化种子包衣配方。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) phase II project is to develop a novel seed treatment technology, based on naturally occurring small molecules proven to strongly activate plant’s natural defenses against a wide range of agriculturally important pathogens. The proposed innovation is active at extremely low concentrations, can be readily synthesized in large quantities, and is biodegradable and non-toxic. Every year, approximately 500 million kg of more than 600 different chemical pesticide types are used; this costs an estimated $10 billion and yet 37% of all crops are still destroyed by pests and pathogens. By providing an alternative, effective method for managing diseases in crops, dependence on existing agrochemicals, synthetic fungicides and antibiotics will be reduced, as will the rate of resistance development. The proposed research will establish viability of a natural small molecule as a crop protectant and can improve the economic and environmental sustainability of agriculture by reducing the use of potentially harmful pesticides and significantly enhancing global food security.The proposed project seeks to develop a novel control for plant pathogens by leveraging a class of small, naturally occurring molecules that elicit specific immune responses in plants. The proposed project will demonstrate a seed-coating formulation capable of long-term stability and efficacy under field conditions, adversely affecting neither seed germination/ growth nor natural microbe/insect populations. The project objectives are to 1) Perform multi-location field trials with wheat and soybean against three high-impact pathogens to confirm efficacy of seed treatments; 2) Conduct greenhouse studies to investigate potential synergies of seed and spray treatments, including in combination with other crop protection agents; 3) Determine effects of seed or spray treatments on nematode infestation in soybean; 4) Scale chemical synthesis of the active ingredient and optimize the seed-coating formulation.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.