A COMMERCIAL step away from chemical fungicides is closer to reality with a major boost to University of Queensland research into BioClay.
A team from the newly launched $17.5m Australian Research Council (ARC) Industrial Transformational Research Hub for Sustainable Crop Protection plans to build on UQ's BioClay technology to create a "smart" form of biological crop protection.
The technology involves a topical application of RNA interference onto crops using clay particles as carriers.
UQ professor, Neena Mitter, said the biological-based fungicides should result in reduced chemical use, increased crop productivity and improved sustainability across the supply chain.
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"There is no genetic modification and the clay is completely biodegradable," Professor Mitter said.
Professor Mitter said BioClay would not result in chemical residues in food or run-off into waterways.
"Globally, an estimated 40 per cent of food grown is lost to crop pests and pathogens," she said.
She said the fungal pathogens targeted by the Hub were selected in close consultation with Research and Development Corporations and industry partners.
"We will tackle issues such as fungicide resistance or targets where no effective control measures are currently available," Professor Mitter said.
The Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation project involves staff from Australian Institute Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Sustainable Energy Futures, and Centre for Policy Futures.
"The Hub comprises an expert multidisciplinary team including science, commercial and policy experts, with the aim of increasing productivity, market access and enhanced environmental credentials of Australian food," Professor Mitter said.
Ashley Walmsley
Ashley Walmsley is the editor of ACM's only national, fresh produce magazine, Good Fruit & Vegetables, while also covering horticulture stories for the agricultural papers and websites. He also writes the weekly, The Ringer, column in the Qld Country Life.
Ashley Walmsley is the editor of ACM's only national, fresh produce magazine, Good Fruit & Vegetables, while also covering horticulture stories for the agricultural papers and websites. He also writes the weekly, The Ringer, column in the Qld Country Life.
