Novel effective management of bacterial pathogens associated with potatoes

该项目将有许多具体的工作包（WP），由关键里程碑定义。总体管理将由APS负责，所有合作伙伴每季度召开一次会议，根据商定的时间表审查进展情况。除了WP6（“实验开发”）之外，所有WP都是“应用研究”。WP1：胸肠杆菌/Dickeya分离[APS， Branston, SASA]。目标细菌将从患病植物材料中分离出来，由布兰斯顿农艺师收集。SASA还将提供其收集的Dickeya分离株（包括索拉尼疟原虫）。WP2：噬菌体筛选[APS]。从WP1分离的细菌将使用富集技术筛选环境样品以获得特定的裂解噬菌体。WP3：噬菌体固定化[Strathclyde]。在WP2中分离的噬菌体将固定在各种可生物降解的底物上（专利PCT/GB03/01797）；稳定它们并提供一种新的递送方法。将对噬菌体滴度进行优化，并对固定化产品进行保质期研究。WP4：噬菌体实验室检测[APS， SASA]。固定化噬菌体组合对抗目标细菌的性能将使用马铃薯片试验进行评估，包括SASA的D. Solani的工作。WP5：温室测定法[SASA]。选定的噬菌体制剂的性能将在一系列作物变量下进行评估，包括土壤温度和水分含量、品种和生长速度。除了总体症状发展外，无症状疾病发展将使用定量PCR检测来追踪病原体发展。WP6：田间试验[Branston]。根据EPPO标准（在苏格兰和林肯郡），WP5中成功的噬菌体混合物的液体和粉尘配方的现场性能将在随机区组设计（4个代表/处理）中进行评估。在项目结束后的两年内，我们的目标是推出一种新型的种子马铃薯杀菌剂处理方法，比目前的做法（目前的处理方法主要是杀菌剂）提供显著的好处。APS和Branston将共同努力确保相关产品的注册。噬菌体的极端特异性、自然存在性和经过验证的安全性将使它们非常适合作为新的作物保护产品，符合农药法规（91/414/EEC）当前变化中纳入的“基于危害”的方法。6. 创新。在农业中使用噬菌体并不是一个新概念，但迄今为止，由于各种技术和后勤问题，其商业潜力尚未实现；包括正确的疾病诊断和制备合适、稳定、有效的治疗方法。这些问题将通过我们的技术革新加以克服；即一个有效的，稳定的输送系统（固定噬菌体），结合协同天然化合物，以最大限度地提高活性（结合背景知识产权斯特拉斯克莱德和APS）。商业创新将通过一种新颖的、有效的、环保的马铃薯种子产品来实现，这将有助于提高马铃薯产量和改善英国马铃薯种子产业的竞争优势。

The project will have a number of specific work packages (WP's), defined by key milestones. Overall management will be by APS, with quarterly meetings between all partners to review progress in relation to an agreed timeline. All WP's are 'applied research', apart from WP6 ('experimental development'). WP1: Pectobacterium/Dickeya isolation [APS, Branston, SASA]. Target bacteria will be isolated from diseased plant material, collected by Branston agronomists. SASA will also make available their collection of Dickeya isolates (including D. solani). WP2: Bacteriophage screening [APS]. Bacterial isolates from WP1 will be used to screen environmental samples for specific lytic bacteriophage using an enrichment technique. WP3: Bacteriophage immobilisation [Strathclyde]. Bacteriophage isolated in WP2 will be immobilised onto a variety of biodegradable substrates (patent PCT/GB03/01797); stabilising them and providing a novel method of delivery. Phage titres will be optimised and shelf-life studies of immobilised products carried out. WP4: Bacteriophage laboratory assays [APS, SASA]. The performance of combinations of immobilised bacteriophage against the target bacteria will be assessed using a potato slice assay, including work on D. Solani at SASA. WP5: Glasshouse assays [SASA]. The performance of selected bacteriophage formulations will be assessed under a range of crop variables, including soil temperature and moisture content, cultivar and growth rate. In addition to gross symptom development, asymptomatic disease development will be investigated using quantitative PCR assays to trace pathogen development. WP6: Field trials [Branston]. Field performance of liquid and dust formulations of successful bacteriophage mixes from WP5 will be assessed in a randomised block design (4 reps/treatment), according to EPPO standards (in Scotland and Lincolnshire). Within 2 years of the project end, we aim to launch a novel seed-potato bactericide treatment, providing significant benefit over current practice (present treatments are primarily fungicides). APS and Branston will work together to secure the relevant product registration(s). The extreme specificity, natural occurrence and proven safety of bacteriophage will make them ideally suitable as new crop protection products, complying with the 'hazard-based' approaches incorporated in curent changes within Pesticide regulations (91/414/EEC). 6. INNOVATION. The use of bacteriophage in agriculture is not a new concept but to date, its commercial potential has not been realised, due to a variety of technical and logistical problems; including correct disease diagnosis and the preparation of a suitable, stable and effective treatment. Such problems will be overcome with our technical innovation; i.e. an effective, stable delivery system (immobilisd bacteriophage), combined with synergistic natural compounds to maximise activity (incorporting background IPR of both Strathclyde and APS). Commerical innovation will be realised through a novel, seed potato product, which is effective and environmentally-acceptable and which will contribute to both increased potato yields and improvements in the competitive advantage of the UK seed-potato industry.