This text is part of the special Research section
What if bacteria could save our tomato plants? A microbiology researcher from INRS is working on a project of the Consortium for Research and Innovation in Industrial Bioprocesses in Quebec (CRIBIQ) with the fertilizer production company Agro-100 to find lasting solutions to pathogens that sometimes sicken fruits and vegetables. The objective: to find bacteria capable of treating tomato plants while fertilizing them, and to make an organic product that farmers can use.
“For several years, the Quebec government has favored greenhouse crops, and even more so since the pandemic episode, which made us realize to what extent we are dependent on other countries,” explains the professor of microbiology at the INRS Éric Déziel. But growing in greenhouses also means problems with pathogens and fertilization challenges, adds the expert. “We need to add fertilizers to promote the productivity of fruits and vegetables,” he recalls. Its mission: to develop biofertilizers which would also have the effect of fighting against certain infections regularly affecting organic farming. “ Clavibacter michiganensisfor example, is a bacteria that causes damage in almost all greenhouse production, and we would like to find a biological treatment to get rid of it,” indicates the researcher.
“Agriculture faces challenges, consumer perception of traditional production techniques is not necessarily positive,” indicates Pierre Migner, director of research and development for Agro-100. . Of course, he notes a growing interest in organic, “but that means a lot of constraints, which make it difficult to increase productivity as much as we would like,” he notes. We must therefore opt for innovative products. This is why more and more biostimulants appearing on the market are of bacterial origin, explains Mr. Migner.
Native bacteria to the rescue
Certain bacteria are known to produce antimicrobial, antibiotic-like activities, explains Mr. Déziel. “We know that certain bacteria can colonize a tomato plant and protect it from infection by pathogens,” he explains. The bacterial strains identified will therefore have a multiple role: bioprotection and biostimulation. “These are really products that will have a very broad spectrum activity, both in terms of protection and in terms of reducing stress endured by plants, such as cold or good absorption of nutrients,” explains Pierre Migner. .
Since the start of the project, a year and a half ago, several bacteria naturally present in Quebec soils have been isolated. “We look at the bacteria in our soils because the environment is important, the acidity of our soils, the temperatures… All of this will influence the ability of the bacteria to establish itself in our environment and to compete with already existing bacteria », says Mr. Migner. Once the bacteria were isolated, “we checked whether they had antagonistic activity against tomato plants as well as their in vitro fertilization capabilities,” describes Mr. Déziel in turn. The collection of bacteria collected is already very promising, according to the researcher.
Long steps before validation
Tomato plants will soon be treated with these to check which ones have effective fertilizing properties. The team will also add pathogens to see if the bacteria can help heal the plants. However, the steps are long. In particular, it will be necessary to carry out tests in small greenhouses and then in large ones to assess whether a successful scenario on tomato plants can be reproduced on a larger scale.
“The idea is to carry out tests in research plots this year, and to see how these bacteria will be able to settle in and provide added value,” underlines Mr. Migner. Everything will be calculated: disease resistance, field trials and long-term effectiveness.
“There are also many regulatory agencies [qui doivent intervenir] before the products are validated and marketed. I am talking in particular about the certification stages once the tests are conclusive,” explains Mr. Déziel. He hopes that in less than two years he will have identified the appropriate bacteria that can be used by farmers in a spray or broadcast product. “The idea is always to replace possible antibiotics or chemicals with products that respect the plant’s ecosystem,” concludes the professor, who has in mind the health of tomatoes and consumers, but also the growing demand for local food.
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