Drivers and mechanisms in biological control of plant pathogens to improve plant health

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The demands for increased production of food has led to extensive use of fertilizers and pesticides in agricultural systems. Some of these chemicals have adverse effects on the environment and on the food chain. At the same time, there are numerous microorganisms in soil and on plant parts that are capable of controlling diseases (biocontrol agents - BCA) and improve plant growth (plant growth promoting rhizobacteria -PGPR). Most of the well studied organisms belong to Pseudomonas and Bacillus genera. My lab has found three bacterial strains (2 Pseudomonas and 1 Bacillus) that produce antibiotics and several other secondary metabolites that help control economically important plant pathogens in canola. Canola is the number one cash crop in Canada. The canola industry supported the Canadian economy with 14.5 Billion dollars in revenue last year alone. Sclerotinia and Blackleg pathogens are the most economically devastating pathogens of canola in Canada. The long term objective of my research is to advance our understanding of principal mechanisms in biocontrol. I plan to apply these principles to develop ecologically based disease management practices. Using the advances made from our work in the past 6 years, we will investigate how antibiotics function in controlling plant pathogens causing infection in canola. Emphasis will be placed on how bacterial metabolites (i.e. antibiotics) are enhanced or decreased by nutritional and environmental parameters. We will also investigate how each of these bacteria interact with each other, and with the pathogen on plant parts, and help improve plant health. Studies will evaluate biocontrol mechanisms, improve disease control and possibly contribute to new methods or products for the management of economically important diseases of field crops in Canada. Findings will be published in high impact journals contributing to the knowledge base of the scientific community. It will help train young students to become researchers in fields of science and agriculture, find suitable professional careers, and contribute to our economy.