Horticulture: Researchers recruit bacteria to prevent plant fungal diseases

Scientists are testing the concept on brassica plants, a genus which includes cabbages, cauliflower and broccoli. Photo / 123rf

Plant fungal diseases can be devastating for horticulture and agriculture – in the worst cases, wiping out entire crops.

But Lincoln Agritech scientists believe altering the bacteria associated with disease-causing fungi will lead to new strategies to protect crops.

They have just won a $1 million contract from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to develop attenuated (weakened) variants of disease-causing fungi that can be used to prime plants and protect against fungal diseases.

“In previous research, we found that the bacteria associated with a fungus affect its ability to cause disease,” Dr Jin-Hua Li said.

“Our novel approach will make fungi unable to cause disease by changing the bacteria that are associated with the fungi.”

Working with scientists from Scion, Utrecht University in the Netherlands and the Foundation for Arable Research, Lincoln Agritech scientists will test the concept on brassica plants (a genus of plants that includes cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli).

“We will test these attenuated variants on brassica plants, such as broccoli and cabbage,” Li said.

“We will coat seeds with the altered fungus, then try to infect the seedlings with the original fungus to see whether our new products have protected the plant from infection.”

Once the concept has been proven in brassica plants, it will be applied to cereal crops, and could potentially be used on several horticultural crops.

Li said this new approach to protection would not only help New Zealand’s horticulture and agriculture industries, but also provide an export opportunity.

Lincoln Agritech research scientist Dr Jin-Hua Li.

“The global agrochemical industry is pivoting to develop new biological alternatives in response to urgent global demands for reduced chemical use.”

For example, EU regulations demanded a 50 per cent reduction in chemical pesticide use by 2030, Li said.

“Our novel biotechnology will help exporters meet the growing market demand for non-chemical disease control.

“It will also enable the production of targeted next-generation bioprotectants that will propel New Zealand toward global leadership in sustainable agriculture.”

The research programme will run for two years.