Chile: US$182 million toward researching an environmentally friendly, live-fungi pesticide

The citrus-crazed Black Olive Scale Beetle continues chomping its way through the juicy Chilean countryside since arriving with the Spanish conquistadors hundreds of years ago. Agrochemicals battle the beetle, but can wreak havoc on the environment and human health. Dissatisfied with the toxic chemicals and determined to protect the fruit that bagged it US$255 million in 2011, Chile is turning to fungus as a possible solution.

This type of research is “just emerging in the country, and there is a need to have consumable goods that have little or no environmental impact, given the international market demands,” Carmen Jorquera, a researcher from Universidad La Serena said in an email.

Chile’s Foundation for Agrarian Innovation (FIA) alongside Universidad de La Serena, Universidade de São Paulo, the Full House Science for Money S. A. and Universidad de Valparaíso announced their plan to develop a mycopesticide – a pesticide based on live fungi – last week. Jorquera works as coordinator for the project, which seeks to use a yet-undiscovered mycopesticide to deter the coffee-bean sized parasite. The FIA will cover US$148.9 million of the US$182 million initiative.

The beetle, which also plagues many other types of produce, secretes a carbo-loaded, sticky substance called honeydew that ripens conditions for a dark mold to cover the plant. The sooty mold hinders the photosynthesis process leading to a sickly citrus tree.

The mycopesticides – whose research began in the 1960s – work through infection, whereby the insect eats or comes into contact with the fungus that is specifically designed to kill it. The benefits: it won’t kill mammals or pollute the environment, and insects can’t become resistant to it.

The downside is that mycopesticides take longer to work than chemical insecticides, can’t be used on multiple different types of pests, usually require strict climate conditions, and come with a steeper price tag.

But the researchers in Chile believe they’ll find a way to produce a hearty mycopesticide to take on the beetle and stand up to the country’s harsh northern climate, according to a government statement.

“Our efforts seek to isolate microorganisms capable of killing the pest and thus lower the use of synthetic chemical insecticides,” FIA project supervisor Juan Carlos Galaz said in an email.

If they keep the beetle at bay, Chile could become a leader in the health- and planet-conscious produce that’s exploded in popularity, since the country is largely free of invasive insects, according to Galaz.

“Due to our country’s special climate conditions and the geographic isolation that keeps Chile free from the majority of pests affecting the rest of the world, Chile can develop a clean fruit industry, controlling it with naturally occurring tools,” said Galaz.

Researchers will comb through Chile’s 47,000 acres of citrus trees that bare about 300,000 tons of fruit per year, then isolate material found in pest-infested areas to evaluate the potential effectiveness of a mycopesticide.

The Chilean researchers will send their findings to Universidade de São Paulo’s Luiz de Queiroz Pathology Laboratory and Microbial Control School for further analysis.

The initial prototype is slated to appear early 2015, according to a government statement.

Source: santiagotimes.cl