Development of agricultural wastes into a delivery system for biological control agents against root pathogens

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Project objective

Development of Agricultural Waste into a Delivery System for Biological Control Agents against Root Pathogens. The main objective of the work is to develop agricultural waste products inoculated with selected biological control agents (Trichoderma isolates) as a means to combat root pathogens. The project focuses on spent mushroom compost as the substrate for inoculation of Trichoderma isolates. Spent mushroom compost is a well defined, readily available waste product which is produced in large quantities. Currently, 90-95% of this substrate is deposed of in landfill sites. However, spent mushroom substrate is potentially an ideal medium for facultative biological control agents such as Trichoderma. At Surrey, we have a collection of at least 30 Trichoderma isolates with different modes of action against a range of root pathogens. The project will focus in the first instance on the necessary modifications required to allow different Trichoderma strains to establish in the compost. Subsequently, compost inoculated with single isolates and combinations of isolates will be tested against a range of root pathogens such as Pythium, Rhizoctonia, Fusarium and Verticillium, which are major diseases of a range of horticultural and agricultural crops. Finally the optimal required dose of inoculated spent mushroom substrate will be evaluated using three soil types (sand, silty loam and clay) infested with pathogens into which susceptible plants will be grown. The results will provide means and protocols that allows transformation of agricultural waste products into products with high value for horticulture, while providing means to reduce the use of environmentally harmful pesticides. Once protocols are established, these will be of generic use for a range of similar applications using different organic waste products or different biocontrol agents.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

• UNIVERSITY OF SURREY · GUILDFORDCoordinatorUnited Kingdom
• Not availableCity levelSpain

Links

• View on CORDIS