SBIR Phase II: Combining Fungal Metabolites and Fungal Insect Pathogens for Cost Effective Control of Bark Beetles in Forestry

这一小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目建议开发真菌生物杀虫剂，用于控制林业中的树皮甲虫。树皮甲虫很难控制。由于生活周期主要在树皮下，接触杀虫剂仅限于成虫寻找新寄主树的短时间。山松甲虫(MPB)是危害最大的物种之一，对其的防治仅限于持久性化学杀虫剂和信息素驱避剂。化学杀虫剂的健康和环境问题限制了使用；信息素保护个别树木，但不能杀死甲虫。第一阶段在配方、使用方法和持久性方面的发现表明，安全、环境友好的球孢白僵菌可以在药效和成本上与化学杀虫剂竞争。抑制枯燥和增加对病原体孢子暴露的天然生物化学物质显示出增强产品的前景。第二阶段的目标是：1)将一种真菌病原体引入商业市场；2)开发改良的真菌病原体菌株和/或钻探威慑剂；3)为其他树皮甲虫分离病原体菌株。田间试验将为MPB防治中的使用建议提供依据。新的真菌病原体和钻孔威慑剂的持续开发将使扩大MPB控制策略和开发针对其他甲虫物种的产品成为可能。如果该项目成功，将是解决本地和外来树皮甲虫暴发的创新生物学方法。气候变化和全球商业正在推动史无前例的大规模疫情爆发。树皮甲虫的暴发是毁灭性的森林和城市树木，并影响木材价值、城市土地价值和森林公共土地的美观。第二阶段将有助于了解真菌病原体在不同种类的树皮甲虫和非靶标昆虫中的寄主范围。使用真菌或树木衍生的生化钻孔威慑剂来提高真菌病原菌的药效，是开发成本效益高、用途更广泛的林业生物杀虫剂的一项重要技术创新。目前的MPB疫情正在摧毁西部森林。第二阶段将提供一个新的工具，在高价值的公共娱乐区、私人林地和城市美化中保护树木免受MPB的攻击。一种安全和对环境无害的真菌生物杀虫剂将使更广泛地管理MPB的新战略成为可能。树皮甲虫是林业中一个巨大的、日益严重的问题，当地和引进的树皮甲虫多次暴发。第二阶段将为开发真菌生物杀虫剂奠定基础，以有效应对这一充满活力的市场。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project proposes to develop fungal bioinsecticides for control of bark beetles in forestry. Bark beetles are difficult to control. With a life cycle mostly under tree bark, exposure to insecticides is limited to the short period when adults search for new host trees. Control of mountain pine beetle (MPB), one of the most damaging species, is limited to persistent chemical insecticides and pheromone repellents. Health and environmental issues of chemical insecticides limit use; pheromones protect individual trees but do not kill beetles. Phase I discoveries of formulation, application methods, and persistence demonstrated the safe, environmentally benign fungal pathogen Beauveria bassiana can compete in efficacy and cost against chemical insecticides. Natural biochemicals that inhibit boring and increase exposure to pathogen spores show promise for enhanced products. Phase II objectives are: 1) bring one fungal pathogen to commercial introduction; 2) develop improved fungal pathogen strains and/or boring deterrent; 3) isolate pathogen strains for other bark beetles. Field trials will provide the basis for use recommendations in MPB control. New fungal pathogens and continued development of boring deterrents will enable expanded MPB control strategies and development of products against other beetle species.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project, if successful, will be innovative biological approaches to address outbreaks of both native and introduced bark beetles. Outbreaks of unprecedented scale are being driven by climate change and global commerce. Bark beetle outbreaks are devastating forests and urban trees, and impacting timber value, urban land values, and esthetics of forested public land. Phase II will contribute to the understanding of fungal pathogen host range in different genera of bark beetles and in non-target insects. Using fungal or tree derived biochemical boring deterrents to increase fungal pathogen efficacy represents an important technical innovation for developing cost effective, more broadly useful, forestry bioinsecticides. The current MPB outbreak is devastating western forests. Phase II will provide a new tool for protecting trees from MPB attack in high value public recreation areas, private forest land, and urban landscaping. A safe and environmentally benign fungal bioinsecticide will enable new strategies for broader management of MPB. Bark beetles are a large, increasing problem in forestry with multiple outbreaks of native and introduced bark beetles. Phase II will establish the foundation for developing fungal bioinsecticides to effectively respond to this dynamic market.