3. The Future is Here, for BCAs
1. Fewer pesticides available
2. A wider range of BCAs
3. Better formulations, shelf-life, simplicity
4. Biofertilizers:
• N fixing – nodules and free-living
• Mobilization of P and micronutrients
• Buffering abiotic stress:
• Tolerance of heat, cold, drought, waterlogging, soil
toxins, toxic metals
5. Soluble silicon - a powerful tool to add
4. Beneficial Microbes for Agriculture
– available of coming soon !
1. Biocontrol Agents to control
• Diseases, pre- and post-harvest - most
• Pests - most
• Nematodes – coming now
Added benefit
– Growth stimulation esp. seed and roots
2. Biofertilizers to enhance fertilization
• N fixation – Rhizobium, Azotobacter, etc.
• P mobilization
• Micronutrient mobilization – Mo, Bo, Zn, Fe
6. Field Crop Soil Problems
• Seed death, damping off and uneven stand
(sub-lethal infection)
• Root diseases of adult plants
– Cause - Pythium, Rhizoctonia, Fusarium spp., Ggt
(take-all)
– Solution - seed treat with Trichoderma (e.g., Eco-T
from PHP)
• It stimulates early germination
• It colonizes the emerging root
• It stimulates more lateral root formation
• It kills incoming pathogens and nematodes
• It degrades allelochemicals in the soil
• It buffers versus abiotic stress factors
15. Foliar Diseases – 2 examples
• Rust biocontrol– fungus Sphaerellopsis filum
attacks pustules and stops carryover – isolate, screen,
register. Studies on biology, epidemiology, efficacy over
seasons, economics of its use, culture conditions.
• Powdery mildew biocontrol - Ampelomyces
quisqualis (AQ). AQ10 was commercialized previously.
PHP has worked out its production but it needs
registration trials.
16. A rust pustule colonized by S. filum
S. filum – black spore
capsules in the old rust
pustule
A new rust pustule
17. Infection of wheat rust spore by S. filum
(Plachecka 2005)
17
Rust
Spore
Rust Spore
18. Ampelomyces quisqualis attacking grape powdery
mildew, U. necator
18
A pycnidium of A. quisqualis
developed inside a spore of pm,
showing the powdery mildew colony
on a grape leaf in the background.
Photos - D. Gadoury
Spores of A. quisqualis emerging
from a pycnidium of A. quisqualis,
formed in place of a pm conidium
19. Post-Harvest vs Moulds and Insects
• Eco-77 – colonize flowers of wheat
and maize to stop Aspergillus &
Fusarium (source of mycotoxins)
• Yeasts: e.g. YieldPlus, B13
• Control of weevils & moths (USDA
too)
– Beauveria bassiana
– Bacillus thurungiensis
25. Dead red spider mites after Eco-Bb x K silicate
on brinjal (Gatarahiya & Laing, 2008)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
0 1 2
Beauveria rate (g l-1)
%deadmites
(adults+juveniles)
No Si
With Si
29. Nematode (Eelworm) Biocontrol
• Trichoderma (Eco-T) is suppressive
• Nematode trapping fungi – Clonostachys
rosae eats nematode larvae
• Bacillus thurungiensis strains kill if eaten
• Bayer – Votivo = Bacillus firmus
• Products that eat nematode eggs – to kill
all eggs in top 300mm of soil, requires
2000 kg / ha vs recommended 2kg / ha
• Rotate with a Brassica crop (e.g., canola,
cabbage) – mustard gases released
• Nematodes in sheep and goats !
43. Formulations and Applications
• Crucial to activity – eg Bb
• Application must maximize BCA activity
– e.g., Eco-T on seed vs drenching
• Needs to be simple, accurate,
affordable to attract farmers
• Must not conflict with farmer operations
• New approach for field crops – Eco-T in
John Deere talc+graphite lubricant for
planter bins
44. Biofertilizers
• Symbiotic N fixation – only legumes
– Rhizobium nodules
– Promiscuous strains under development for other legumes
– Room storage at 200C
• Free Living N fixation – for all crops
– Azotobacter, Azospirillum sp.
– Burkholderia sp., Klebsiella
• P access, dissolved from clay, rock phosphate
– Bacillus spp.
– Trichoderma
– Mycorrhizae
• Micronutrient access (Mo, Bo, Zn, Cu, Fe)
– Trichoderma
– Mycorrhizae
48. • N fixation for all the
other crops
• Free-living diazotrophic
bacteria to fix nitrogen in the
root zone
• How much NPK fertilizer can
be replaced by the best
Azotobacter strains ?
• To date: 65% replacement of
normal NPK fertilizer without
affecting normal plant
growth, using best strains
• P solubilization by other
bacteria
50. Soluble Silicon in Plant Health
• Silicon deficient soils - >70% of Africa short of soluble Si
• No deficiency symptoms but both physical and
biochemical role in some plants (Si uptake is active)
• Grasses deposit Si as phytoliths into leaves; cane cuts
• Action vs Pests – accelerated resistance
• Action vs Diseases – accelerated SAR (immune system)
• Improves orderly cellulose deposition
• Stress tolerance
– Cold, frost
– Heat
– Drought
– Al, Mn, Cd
• Synergistic with biocontrol agents
54. The Future of BCAs
1. Fewer pesticides available
2. A wider range of BCAs
3. Better formulations, shelf-life, simplicity
4. Biofertilizers:
• N fixing – nodules and free-living
• Mobilization of P and micronutrients
• Buffering abiotic stress:
• Tolerance of heat, cold, drought, waterlogging, soil
toxins, toxic metals
5. Soluble silicon - a powerful tool to add
55. Potential Problems with BCA & BFZ
• Foreign strains, not well adapted to SA soils
• Many strains need to be screened to find one really
powerful strain – requires time, money and research
facilities
• Good BCA but poor formulation = ineffective
• Spores counts too low – 105 /g instead of 107 /g
• Contamination by other fungi
• It is not a chemical, but a living organism. Back seat
of a car for 4 hours will kill it.
• Relatively short-lived except spore-formers (Bacillus),
6-12 months