Marine plant derivatives to enhance crop plants

在未来几十年里，我们必须提高农业生产力，以应对不断增长的人口和燃料供应，并提高农业的可持续性。生物输入是实现这一目标的一种方式。 海藻已被开发为生物刺激剂的生产者，在加拿大，Ascophyllum nodosum已被开发成在世界各地销售的商业产品。 拟议的工作将导致广泛的理解的能力，一套海藻提取物和配方提供生物控制措施，对加拿大东部的主要作物的真菌病原体。我们将评估所选海藻提取物和这些提取物的制剂减少真菌病原体生长的能力以及促进植物生长的增强的效果。 将收集在培养皿条件下以及在特定海藻提取物和制剂存在下真菌生长和发育方面的数据，以确定具有最大功效的那些。 此外，将评估具有最大抗真菌活性的材料（提取物和制剂的组合）对植物生长的促进作用和对作物生理学特定方面的影响。 马达加斯加海洋植物公司已经对海藻提取物进行了初步研究，并将为拟议的工作提供最有趣的类型。 本研究中使用的评估作物将是番茄，因为它是加拿大东部广泛生产的高价值作物。 这项工作将通过哥伦比亚海洋植物和麦吉尔大学史密斯实验室研究小组之间的合作进行，以阐述和实施他们迄今为止的进程和理解。关于海藻衍生材料的抗真菌和生长刺激能力的工作将使人们更好地了解其现有产品的适用性，以及新产品和进一步产品的基础，使其成为快速发展的生物制品领域的领导者。 这也将提高加拿大农业的可持续性和经济性，使加拿大在生物制剂的农业应用方面进一步领先。

Over the next few decades we must increase both agricultural productivity, to deal with growing populations and fuel supply, and agricultural sustainability. Biological inputs are one way to achieve this. Seaweeds have been exploited as producers of biostimulants, and within Canada, Ascophyllum nodosum has been developed into commercial products sold around the world. The proposed work will lead to a broad understanding of the ability of a set of seaweed extracts and formulations to provide biocontrol measures against fungal pathogens of key crop plants of eastern Canada. We will evaluate the effects of selected seaweed extracts and formulations of these for ability to diminish the growth of fungal pathogens, and also for the enhancement of plant growth promotion. Data will be collected on aspects of fungal growth and development under Petri plate conditions and in the presence of specific seaweed extracts and formulations, with a view to identifying those with greatest efficacy. In addition, the materials with greatest antifungal activity (combination of extract and formulation) will be evaluated for plant growth promotion and effects on specific aspects of crop physiology. Acadian Seaplants has conducted preliminary research regarding the seaweed extracts and will provide the most interesting types for the proposed work. The evaluation crop used in this research will be tomato, as it is a high value crop produced extensively in eastern Canada. The work will be conducted through a collaboration between Acadian Seaplants and the Smith laboratory research team at McGill University, in order to elaborate and implement their processes and understandings to date. The work regarding anti-fungal and growth stimulation capability of the seaweed-derived materials will provide a better understanding of the applicability of their current product, and with new products and the foundations for even further products, establishing it as a leader in the rapidly expanding biologicals sector. This will also enhance the sustainability and economics of Canadian agricultural, giving Canada further leadership in the agricultural application of biologicals.