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New Biological Pest Control System Developed by Auburn Researchers
AUBURN, Ala.—Providing an ideal battlefield situation and life support system sound more like military planning for the Persian Gulf than a war against plant diseases and insects. However, that's the way Auburn University researchers describe a new invention designed to provide an ideal environment for fungi and bacteria that fight and kill disease-causing organisms -- possibly even insects.
The formulation was developed by researchers in the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station and is under patent consideration and development by a major U.S. corporation. It has no name, but is described as, "a life support system for the good guys," by Auburn researcher Paul Backman.
"Disease-causing bacteria and fungi are in constant competition with naturally occurring organisms. What we are doing with this formulation is providing food and protection for these beneficial organisms, so they can multiply and subsequently overwhelm the 'bad' organisms that cause problems for farmers and home gardeners," Backman explained.
In more scientific terms, the Auburn researchers have used their invention to effectively and consistently provide long term changes in the microflora of leaf surfaces. Scientists around the world have tried and failed to do this with such simple molecules as urea, sucrose and proteins. The microflora of plant leaves contains millions of microorganisms per square inch--some good, some bad. The bad ones cause plant diseases and the good ones destroy these organisms and/or cause diseases in insects that attack the plant. By rearranging this microflora, the Auburn scientists have effectively swung the balance in favor of the good microorganisms.
The formulation that Backman's research team developed contains chitin and other food bases. For protection from the elements, it contains ultraviolet screens, and for protection from high acidity, it contains buffer compounds. A sticking agent is added to enable the formulation to adhere to leaf surfaces. To this formulation, various bacteria and fungi are added, depending on the target pest.
Research results on various crops have ranged from promising to outstanding, according to Auburn researchers. On tomatoes, for example, control of bacterial spot using the formulation has been better than any commercial bactericide. However, on peanuts, it has been only about 70 percent as effective as the popular fungicide Bravo in controlling leafspot--a fungal disease.
In general, Backman says bacterial agents in the formulation have been somewhat less effective than commercially available pesticides. Fungal agents applied to apples have been almost as effective as commercial fungicides.
In research on tomatoes, the fungi and bacteria-containing formulation was first sprayed when plants were about a week old, then subsequent applications were applied every seven to 10 days throughout the growing season. In peanuts and other agronomic crops, it was applied in larger volumes of water, using traditional spraying equipment. The material is formulated with pH buffers and drying oils and can be applied in concentrations of water in excess of 99 percent.
"Currently, we are not near commercial application to large acreage agronomic crops, such as peanuts. However, we hope to bring the formulation to home gardeners and commercial organic fruit and vegetable producers first, and we have almost achieved a level of performance acceptable for backyard fruit trees and gardens," Backman concluded.
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By:
Roy Roberson
