GO NATURSMOKE

New disinfectant technologies based on active principles obtained from food by-products for the control of phytopathogens in greenhouses and post-harvest

«Content responsible: NATURSMOKE OPERATIONAL GROUP»

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What is an Operational Group?

An Operational Group (OG) is a grouping of actors from different profiles, such as farmers, researchers, universities, etc., to collectively address a specific problem or opportunity from a multisectoral approach.

NATURSMOKE Operational Group

The objective of the GO-NATURSMOKE project is to develop new smoke products that, with minimal water consumption, contribute to the efficient control of phytopathogenic diseases in greenhouses and post-harvest using active principles of natural origin from food by-products. This new technology will utilize natural origin antimicrobials, safe for consumers and the environment, allowing for a reduction in the use of chemical products, water, and energy, while maintaining the quality and safety levels of the final product required by the market.

Objectives

To investigate, characterize, and obtain through innovative sustainable extraction processes, new extracts derived from food by-products rich in active principles with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity for the control of diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria such as Botrytis cinerea, Podosphaera aphanis, Leveillula taurica, Pseudomonas syringae, Alternaria spp., Penicillium spp., and Fusarium oxysporum, among others.
To obtain standardized formulations of bioactive compounds of natural origin for their incorporation into fumigants aimed at controlling phytopathogens in vegetables and fruit crops grown in greenhouses, allowing for reduced water consumption and improving the microbiological quality of this cultivation system and post-harvest facilities.
To integrate the active ingredients into a fumigant product ensuring its proper functioning without any interactions between chemical groups leading to the release of active ingredients in dry smoke with adequate speed and smoke density without the presence of flame.
To implement a study system for the activity of the selected formulations on the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a surrogate animal model, evaluating its effect on longevity and other health parameters (oxidative stress, in vivo expression analysis) allowing for the assessment of the toxicity of these compounds in vivo.
Determine the biological activity and mechanism of action of the developed products against fungi and bacteria through in vitro assays, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and gene expression studies.
Evaluate the effectiveness of the developed products through the implementation and development of new methodologies and validation tests in the laboratory, semi-field, and field.