Environmentally friendly biomolecules from agricultural wastes as substitutes of pesticides for plant diseases control

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

Plant diseases caused by bacteria and nematodes often result in sudden and devastating financial losses to farmers, and are extremely difficult to control. Similarly, plant-parasitic nematodes are responsible for heavy crop losses (up to 12%) and the diseases they cause are difficult to control.

Traditionally, nematode-related diseases have been managed with the utilisation of plant resistance, crop rotation, biological control, and cultural practices. However, farmers have always preferred using pesticides, which can have severe environmental effects.

Presently, most nematicides are not included among the labelled agrochemicals for crops under good agricultural practices because they belong to high-risk classes. Moreover, the development of resistance phenomena and the potential for adverse ecological impact from nematicides creates a continuous need for new products and alternative control strategies for these plant parasites.

OBJECTIVES

The main goal of the LIFE EVERGREEN project was to demonstrate the efficacy and reliability of polyphenol-based biomolecules recovered from agricultural non-food biomass and wastes as disease control products against phytopathogenic bacteria and nematodes affecting plants and crops.

In this way, it aimed to demonstrate an eco-friendly, cost-effective and integrated approach for the control of bacterial and nematode diseases of plants that would enable the replacement of currently used commercial pesticides and the application of copper salts in conventional and organic agriculture and provide a sustainable use for agricultural plant biomass and waste as a source for new bioactive compounds.

Planned activities were to:

Use polyphenol-based molecules extracted from agricultural plant biomass and by-products for the control of bacterial and nematode diseases of crops in the lab;

Optimise specific polyphenolic formulations against several plant pathogenic bacteria and nematodes; and

Conduct trials to optimise field treatments on several plants and crops having a high commercial value, which will be used as models (e.g. olive, kiwi, potato and tobacco).

RESULTS

The LIFE EVERGREEN project successfully identified an active strategy to control pathogenic plant bacteria and nematodes on crops of high economic value such as kiwi, olive and tobacco, without harming the environment. The following specific results were achieved:

The kilo-scale extraction of the high-quality polyphenolic bioactive molecules from non-edible vegetable biomass and waste was satisfactory and allowed the preparation of four commercial formulations which were tested at pilot scale;

The foreseen trials, going from lab to pilot scale, yielded the expected results under controlled conditions (growth chamber, greenhouse);

The tested polyphenols proved to inhibit pathogens’ mechanisms of invading the plant, without inducing resistance in the pathogen population nor exerting negative effects on other organisms;

Trials carried out in the open field provided positive outcomes;

Production costs of the project formulations and socio-economic impacts of the application of the polyphenols at large scale were described, with foreseen benefits for farmers and consumers; and

Targeted demonstration workshops were held in Italy and Spain, involving the stakeholders and relevant institutional actors.

The project results contribute to the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) and the Soil Thematic Strategy (COM(2006)231, 22.9.2006), by reducing copper entering the receiving waters and preventing damage to soil, respectively.

Production costs of the formulations are still high when compared to other commercial bio-pesticides. Therefore, further research is needed to identify industrial manufacturing processes suitable to make the poly-phenols economically viable. The overall long-term socio-economic impact is good as it is related to the possibility of reducing the amount of waste by transforming it into useful active ingredients for plant disease control, which in turn will make the activity of crop protection less harmful for the farmers and consumers.

Prospects of replicability are good, already two farmers organisations dealing respectively with grape and tobacco production have shown their interest in testing the poly-phenolic preparations in their fields and, in general, European farmers and nursery/farm/horticultural SMEs, especially those operating in compliance with the EC Regulation for Organic Production are likely to benefit from the results of the project.

Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Communication Plan (see "Read more" section).

The LIFE EVERGREEN project successfully identified an active strategy to control pathogenic plant bacteria and nematodes on crops of high economic value such as kiwi, olive and tobacco, without harming the environment. The following specific results were achieved:

The kilo-scale extraction of the high-quality polyphenolic bioactive molecules from non-edible vegetable biomass and waste was satisfactory and allowed the preparation of four commercial formulations which were tested at pilot scale;

The foreseen trials, going from lab to pilot scale, yielded the expected results under controlled conditions (growth chamber, greenhouse);

The tested polyphenols proved to inhibit pathogens’ mechanisms of invading the plant, without inducing resistance in the pathogen population nor exerting negative effects on other organisms;

Trials carried out in the open field provided positive outcomes;

Production costs of the project formulations and socio-economic impacts of the application of the polyphenols at large scale were described, with foreseen benefits for farmers and consumers; and

Targeted demonstration workshops were held in Italy and Spain, involving the stakeholders and relevant institutional actors.

The project results contribute to the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) and the Soil Thematic Strategy (COM(2006)231, 22.9.2006), by reducing copper entering the receiving waters and preventing damage to soil, respectively.

Production costs of the formulations are still high when compared to other commercial bio-pesticides. Therefore, further research is needed to identify industrial manufacturing processes suitable to make the poly-phenols economically viable. The overall long-term socio-economic impact is good as it is related to the possibility of reducing the amount of waste by transforming it into useful active ingredients for plant disease control, which in turn will make the activity of crop protection less harmful for the farmers and consumers.

Prospects of replicability are good, already two farmers organisations dealing respectively with grape and tobacco production have shown their interest in testing the poly-phenolic preparations in their fields and, in general, European farmers and nursery/farm/horticultural SMEs, especially those operating in compliance with the EC Regulation for Organic Production are likely to benefit from the results of the project.

Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Communication Plan (see "Read more" section).