Development of sustainable solutions for crop protection and food security

生防剂是一种有益的微生物，可应用于农作物以对抗植物病害。微生物生活在植物上，并产生防止病原体/害虫入侵的分子。这些“生物防治”产品正得到越来越广泛的应用，因为它们代表了合成农用化学品的一种环境友好型选择。此外，最近对最危险的农用化学品的禁令使种植者在作物病害管理方面的解决方案变得更少。尽管有好处，但在农业中广泛采用生物防治产品仍然存在障碍，包括保护不一致和开发时间长。我们的目标是通过使用我们的新技术来克服这些障碍，该技术使我们能够快速识别能够在商业生长条件下生存并有效保护作物的生防菌。我们的创新还使我们能够识别潜在的作用机制，为农业部门产生高质量的产品。浆果是英国和全球最有价值的作物之一，生产严重依赖合成杀菌剂的使用。它们通常每周喷洒一次，以防止真菌和卵菌疾病，如葡萄孢子炎和树冠腐烂。如果不及时处理，这些疾病造成的草莓产量损失超过50%。从长远来看，持续喷洒会增加整个食物链中的抗药性病原体，导致产量损失增加，并缩短水果的货架期。目前，还没有生物解决方案来预防浆果的冠腐病，而那些可用于控制灰霉病的生防产品效果有限。拟议的项目旨在利用我们的创新技术来克服目前生物治疗的局限性，并提供第一个完全有效的基于细菌的解决方案来预防浆果的灰霉病和冠腐病。我们的技术将使我们能够：[1]快速确定最有效的生防剂，[2]快速确定作用模式，[3]提供在目标作物物种中具有最佳活性的产品。最终，这种生物控制产品将支持浆果种植者，有助于更可持续的耕作实践，降低成本，延长产品的保质期，并减少相关的生态足迹。在InnovateUK的支持下，这项为期6个月的研究计划将提供在实验室和园艺环境中验证的原型产品。我们发现生物防治的新方法有可能彻底改变园艺实践和粮食安全的未来，具有全球开发潜力。该项目将为PfBIO带来由专家主导的显著增长，大幅提高投资回报率，增加就业，并提供更多研发投资机会。

Biological control agents are beneficial microbes that are applied to crops to fight plant disease. Microbes live on the plant and produce molecules that prevent pathogen/pest invasion. These "biocontrol" products are becoming more widely used, as they represent an environmentally friendly option to synthetic agrichemicals. In addition, recent bans on the most hazardous agrochemicals have left growers with fewer solutions for crop disease management. Despite their benefits, barriers remain to the widespread adoption of biocontrol products in agriculture, including inconsistent protection and long development times. We aim to overcome these barriers by using our novel technology that allows us to quickly identify biocontrol bacteria that can survive and effectively protect crops under commercial growing conditions. Our innovation also allows us to identify the underlying mechanism of action, leading to the generation of high-quality products for the agricultural sector.Berries are one of the most valuable crops in the UK and globally, and production is heavily dependent on the use of synthetic fungicides. They are usually sprayed once a week to prevent fungal and oomycete diseases such as Botrytis and crown rot. These diseases are responsible for over 50% of strawberry production loss if plants are not promptly treated. Long term, persistent spraying increases pesticide-resistant pathogens throughout the food chain, causing increased production losses and a reduction of the fruit shelf life. Currently, no biological solutions are available to prevent crown rot in berries, while those biocontrol products that are available to control Botrytis have limited efficacy.The proposed project seeks to utilise our innovative technology to overcome the limitations of current biological treatments and deliver the first fully effective bacterial-based solution to prevent Botrytis and crown rot in berries. Our technology will allow us to: \[1\] quickly identify the most effective biocontrol agents, \[2\] rapidly identify modes of action, \[3\] provide products that have optimal activity in the targeted crop species. Ultimately, the biocontrol product will support berry growers, contributing to more sustainable farming practices, reducing costs, enhancing product shelf-life, and decreasing the associated ecological footprint.With InnovateUK support, this 6-month research programme will deliver a prototype product validated in both lab and horticultural settings. Our novel approach to biocontrol discovery has the potential to revolutionise the future of horticultural practice and food security with global exploitation potential. The project will deliver significant expert-led growth for PfBIO, a substantial ROI, increased employment, and further opportunities for R&D investment.