Patented technology: Fungicide development helps control fungus in organic agricultural crops

The research team led by Doctors Milena Cotoras and Leonora Mendoza, from the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, formulated a substance with extracts of grape pomace to control the infection caused by the phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea in plant species.

Paola Armijo, USACh Journalist.- In our country, the production, demand and export of organic agricultural products have experienced sustained growth in recent times, projecting that this trend would continue to rise.

Proof of the above is that in 2020 the market for organic products, such as fruits and vegetables, generated sales of over US $311 million and exports to 50 countries, according to the report. “Organic Agriculture: Updated information on the sector” of PASO. Likewise, it is expected that in the next five years sales will exceed US $150 billion.

In this context, one of the great challenges for the organic agricultural industry is to maintain production levels in a sustainable manner, preventing and fighting pests that damage crops.
Elemental sulfur and fungicides based on grapefruit extracts are among the most widely used methods against infections that damage fruit trees, plants or vegetables, although today it is necessary to diversify the supply of natural biological control agents.

This was the problem addressed by a research team from Usach, which was made up of researchers from the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, Dr. Milena Cotoras Tadic and Dr. Leonora Mendoza Espínola. Dr. Rubén Bustos Cerda, a researcher at the Faculty of Engineering, and the students Alejandro Grancelli Olivera and Diego Godoy Pedraza joined the project.

As a result of the joint work, an emulsified or microencapsulated fungicide was formulated that includes extracts of grape pomace or pomace to specifically control the infection caused by the phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea in plants, parts of plants or their fruits, which produces the ” Gray rot”, a disease that occurs in the pre- and post-harvest stages of agricultural products.

In this regard, Dr. Milena Cotoras explained that the fungicide developed “is of natural origin and has the ability to inhibit growth and propagation, in addition to protecting plant tissue from infection. This solution can be applied by spraying as an aqueous suspension on the surface of the leaves, as well as on the fruits”.

He emphasized that this invention, created at Usach, seeks to contribute to the agricultural industry in general, “with a safe and effective biocide to protect plant species, ensuring the safe handling of fruit and vegetable production. At the same time, we deliver to the market another alternative of a natural agent for the biological control of the Botrytis cinerea fungus”.

Currently, this technology has a patent granted in Chile, a process that was supported by the Department of Technology Management of the Vice-Rector for Research, Innovation and Creation.
Learn more about the different technologies developed at our University, accessing the DGT website