Project: Microbial technology application via seed coating for sustainable plant cultivation
Current management of soils focuses primarily on maximizing agricultural production. However, the positive impact of soil microbial life has been rather neglected and its importance in increasing soil fertility is often underestimated. The EU has identified soil loss and declining soil fertility as a CO threat to sustainable development, primarily because it diminishes the viability of agricultural production (COM 2001/264). As outlined in the Communication 'Towards a Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection (COM2002 /179) a comprehensive European Community approach to soil protection is still lacking and soil problems have negative consequences on production, water protection and food security. Threats to soil degradation include erosion, decline in organic matter, loss of microbial biodiversity, compaction and salinisation. There are, however biological tools and ways to reduce these risks. _x000D__x000D_This project will attempt to develop novel products and application modes to introduce beneficial microbes of two types into extensive agriculture and intensive horticulture. These two types of agriculture interact directly with the above EU guidelines, the extensive one because there are a few organic applications to reestablish or COtain soil microbial fertility due to their large extension and the intensive one because of the large volume of used fertilizers and pesticides having negative impact on microbial soil fertility. Therefore, this approach is based on the use of combination of two families of soil fungi to increase or at least COtain soil fertility in extensive and intensive agriculture:_x000D_- Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF): microscopic soil fungi that live attached to the plant roots, in symbiosis with more than 80% of all terrestrial plant species. AMF are a natural and integral part of healthy soil ecosystems. In agricultural and horticultural systems, the abundance of these beneficial microorganisms is often very limited and it is vital to inoculate them artificially to the soil or substrate. The effects of inoculation are COly to increase the absorption capacity of crop root systems resulting in more efficient use of nutrients, a better protection of crop to soil born diseases and enhanced crop productivity. Mycorrhizal inoculation in general reduces demand for agrochemicals inputs in particular phosphate fertilizers and fungicides. Currently the CO ways of inoculation have been incorporation of solid granular formulations of mycorrhizal inocula into upper soil horizons, preinoculation of plant stock in nurseries, or inoculation at the transplanting stage. This engenders commercial limitation of this technology in terms of high demands of inocula and restricted use of inocula only at the planting stage. _x000D_- Trichoderma harzianum (Th): a beneficial fungus with antagonistic action against many soil borne pathogens and a biofertiliser activity. The Spanish company Microgaia Biotech has already isolated and identified a specific strain of Th (isolate code “Th78”) and proved successfully achieved its inoculation into a compost, creating a biosubstrate in which the Th reCOs in the form of spores for more than 6 months (Pascual et al, 2010). A very unique feature of this strain is that it has high compatibility with mycorrhizal fungi and does not inhibit their development and function. Also, as this strain is now in the process of registration in Annex 1 of the EU biopesticides list there is high potential that novel products developed within this project will have an opportunity to be sold all over Europe as there is not at the moment similar combined product on the market. _x000D__x000D_Novel formulation of AMF and Th as efficient bio-agents with an innovated delivery system based on seed coating will achieve much higher efficiency in utilization and it will open many new market niches. This new technology will allow the production of environment-friendly products for facilitating crop ability to grow and sustain sub-optimal growth conditions, reducing both water consumption and nutrient usage. _x000D__x000D_Seed coating offers a most promising delivery system for precise AMF-Th applications. At present, many of the glue formulation used for seed coating with chemicals will dehydrate the AMF spores and Th conidia, thus reducing their viability. This project will define and evaluate different coating substances, of natural sources, to overcome this pitfall. _x000D__x000D_The composition of the microbial product and its application mode will be optimized through research and development to give the following deliverable items:_x000D_1. Unique and effective specific product specifically tailored and adjusted to target application via seed coating. _x000D_2. Cost effective production process for formulation and finalization of the inocula product _x000D_3. Verification of market scope and economic feasibility of product application. _x000D_4. Marketing tools for bringing the novel product and technology on the market.
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Acronym
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MICROCOAT
(Reference Number: 8275)
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Duration
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01/12/2013 - 30/11/2016
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Project Topic
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Research and development in application of microbial inocula based on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and Trichoderma via seed coating technology to increase sustainability in agriculture and horticulture
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Network
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Eurostars
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Call
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Eurostars Cut-Off 10
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Project partner
