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

细菌植物病原体会降低作物产量，这会给种植者带来收入损失。控制粮食作物细菌感染的产品市场很大，全球每年的支出为3亿至5亿美元。目前的解决方案是铜基杀虫剂和代森锰锌等二硫代氨基甲酸盐的混合物。不幸的是，这些混合物是不够的，因为它们的药效因细菌病原体建立的耐药性而下降。此外，它们还可以通过给植物施加压力，导致它们从一开始就减产，从而降低作物产量。最后，它们对土壤和水造成严重的环境危害。该项目的重点是利用生物技术开发创新的、具有市场竞争力的、环境可持续的植保产品，这些产品在控制粮食作物上的植物病原黄单胞菌方面比市场标准更有效。生物农药是农业行业增长最快的部分之一，原因有很多：(A)消费者要求不含有毒农药的食品；(B)各国政府正在回应公民的需求，并推动开发和登记生物农药作为替代品；(C)鉴于耐药性问题，生产商正在积极寻找现有常规产品的替代品。这项提议是INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier和AGRI-Neo Inc.正在进行的项目的继续。三个拟议的里程碑将旨在(1)确认以前分离的细菌产生的生物活性代谢物的活性和商业潜力，这些细菌被证明可以抑制一系列植物病原黄单胞菌；(2)通过元基因组学方法鉴定原始生物活性代谢物；以及(3)分离新的生防菌，以防止植物病原体感染。将进行实地研究，在粮食作物上测试新产品。最后，我们将开发基于发酵的制造工艺，并进行中试批次，使新产品准备好商业化。我们将创造一套满足加拿大市场需求的生物农药产品。

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.