L2M NSERC-Bioengineering attenuated Sclerotinia sclerotiorum strains as bioherbicide for cereal production and lawn management

杂草导致农作物产量大幅下降，并使城市草坪维护者感到沮丧。目前的杂草控制依赖于化学除草剂，如2，4-D和草甘膦（Roundup），这可能会造成重大的环境危害，并被抗除草剂杂草菌株所克服。此外，对使用化学除草剂的限制越来越多。在这里，我们建议开发生物除草剂-有机农业和景观美化的替代可持续选择。 核盘菌（Sclerotinia sclerotiorum，Ss）是一种能侵染并杀死几乎所有双子叶杂草的植物病原真菌。相反，它不影响大多数单子叶植物，包括谷类作物和草坪草，而是可以作为有益的内生菌。因此，它有可能被用作一种有效的生物除草剂。然而，其形成被称为菌核的持久休眠体的能力阻止了这种潜力，因为菌核可以充当传播剂来感染和损害非目标双子叶植物。因此，将需要缺失形成菌核的基因以获得减毒的Ss非形成菌核的突变株作为生物除草剂产品。我们先前已经建立了使用基因组学和分子生物学鉴定菌核形成基因的方案，并设计了删除这些基因的方法。此外，我们还有合作者，我们将与他们合作开发最佳配方。 在此，我们建议对我们的生物除草剂产品的可行性进行市场研究。该产品有可能对许多最终用户有用，包括农作物生产者，公园维护者，高尔夫球场维护者，园艺师和房主。我们的目标是评估市场对产品的需求，以及该产品对消费者来说是理想的所需因素。此外，我们将确定目标市场的规模，并分析竞争格局，包括进入壁垒。通过这项市场研究的结果将为未来对这种潜在生物除草剂产品的决策提供信息。

Weeds cause substantial yield losses in crops and frustrations for city lawn maintainers. Current weed control relies on chemical herbicides such as 2,4-D and glyphosate (Roundup), which can cause significant environmental harm and be overcome by herbicide-resistant weed strains. Furthermore, there are increasing restrictions on the use of chemical herbicides. Here we propose to develop bioherbicides - an alternative sustainable option for organic farming and landscaping. Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Ss) is a plant pathogenic fungus can infect and kill almost all dicotyledonous weeds. In contrast, it does not affect most monocots including cereal crops and lawn grasses, and instead may act as a beneficial endophyte. Thus, it has the potential to be used as an efficient bioherbicide agent. However, its ability to form the long-lasting resting bodies called sclerotia prohibits such potential since sclerotia can serve as a spreading agent to infect and damage untargeted dicot plants. Thus, sclerotia forming genes will need to be deleted in order obtain attenuated non-sclerotial forming mutant strains of Ss as a bioherbicide product. We have previously established protocols for the identification of sclerotia forming genes using genomics and molecular biology, and designed methods for the deletion of those genes. Furthermore, we have collaborators who we will work with to develop an optimal formulation for use. Here, we propose to conduct market research on the feasibility of our bioherbicide product. This product has the potential to be useful for many end-users including crop producers, parks maintainers, golf course maintainers, landscapers, and homeowners. We aim to evaluate the market need for the product, and what factors are required for this product be ideal for the consumer. In addition, we will identify the size of addressable market, and analyze the competitive landscape, including barriers to entry. Through the results of this market research will inform future decision-making on this potential bioherbicide product.