There is a chance to catch up with progress in the BIOCOMES project (‘New biological products for sustainable farming and forestry’) with the publication of its fourth newsletter. The project, comprising 13 industrial partners and 14 research institutes and universities from 14 countries, is seeking to offer 11 new biological control products for arable, vegetable and fruit tree crops, plus new solutions for forestry and two new production technologies.
October’s newsletter includes:
An update on the work of Belgian company Viridaxis, which produces parasitic wasps to control aphids in crops (see photo right of a parasitic wasp on the flower of a cherry tree taken by Viridaxis). Until this year its products had been restricted to use in various protected crops but, following work from the University of Belgrade to select wasp species with the potential to attack aphids which infest fruit tree crops, their work has moved outside. Field trials in cherry orchards belonging to the network of growers used by the Belgian Research Station for Fruit (PCF) have been conducted, with the results now being analysed. Read more here.
A report on BIOCOMES’ participation in the ‘Health Checks and Smart Treatments for our Plants’ event organised by the European Commission in the European Union pavilion at the Milan Expo. At the event BIOCOMES coordinator Jürgen Köhl, from Wageningen UR, gave a presentation on the project’s objectives and talked in more detail about the work to control Lymantria dispar , cabbage moth and powdery mildew. After the presentations, examples of future products were demonstrated, including seed coatings, parasitoid-based products, formulations for microbial applications and the production of nematodes. Read more here.
An update on the search for a biocontrol agent (BCA) for the treatment of Verticillium wilt. Researchers have identified strains of the bacteria genus Serratia and Paenibacillus as having strong potential and an analysis of their genomes has significantly contributed to understanding their mode of action. The sequence of the selected Paenibacillus strain has been used to develop a strain-specific marker which will facilitate identification of the applied strain in soil samples. The interactions between the BCAs and the pathogen have been studied and researchers report that both BCAs have shown a strong ability to inhibit growth of Verticillium on the plate. Read more here.
A report on progress in the work to produce a commercial seed treatment for maize and other cereals based on the Trichoderma harzianum strain DSM25764. Tests with an oil-based formulation showed a reduction in the germination rate of maize cultivars, so partners are now focused on developing a wettable powder formulation for the control of Fusarium spp. in maize. In future field studies, this wettable formulation will be used to evaluate the efficacy of the Trichoderma harzianum strain against plant pathogens. Read more here.
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