Development of novel bio-pesticides to control bacterial diseases on food crops

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Bacterial phytopathogens decrease crop yields, which translates to lost revenue for growers. The market for products that control bacterial infections on food crops is large, with annual expenditures of $300-500M worldwide. The incumbent solution is a mixture of copper-based pesticides and dithiocarbamates like mancozeb. Unfortunately, these mixtures are inadequate because they have falling efficacy due to resistance built up by bacterial pathogens. Furthermore, they can reduce crop yields by stressing plants, causing them to produce less from the outset. Finally, they cause significant environmental harm to soil and water. The focus of this project is to use biotechnology to develop innovative, market competitive, and environmentally sustainable crop protection products that are more efficacious than market standards in controlling phytopathogenic Xanthomonas bacteria on food crops. Bio-pesticides are one of the fastest growing segments in the agricultural industry, driven by a number of factors: (a) consumers are demanding food that is free of toxic pesticides, (b) governments are responding to the demands of its citizens, and pushing for the development and registration of bio-pesticides as an alternative, (c) producers are actively seeking substitutes for existing, conventional products given resistance issues. This proposal is the continuation of an ongoing project in collaboration between INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier and Agri-Neo Inc. Three proposed milestones will aim at (1) confirming the activity and commercial potential of bioactive metabolites produced by previously isolated bacteria demonstrated to inhibit a range of phytopathogenic Xanthomonas, (2) identifying original bioactive metabolites by a metagenomic approach, and (3) isolating new biocontrol bacteria that will prevent infections by phytopathogens. Field studies will be performed to test the new products on food crops. Finally, we will develop a manufacturing process based on fermentation and run pilot batches to get the new products ready for commercialization. We will create a set of bio-pesticide products that fill needs in the Canadian market.