Chile: Investigate a fungicide produced from waste from the wine industry

22/01/2015

Two notable advantages are those presented by the development project of a fungicide produced from residues of the wine industry against the phytopathogenic fungusBotrytis cinerea winner of the Applied Science Competition of the Research and Development in Action Program for Research Institutions (IDeA) of Fondef, points out the researcher at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology of the University of Santiago, Milena Cotoras.

The first of them has to do with dealing with one of the main problems faced by fruit production in Chile and especially the table grape and wine grape: the so-called gray rot, caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea, infection that not only produces important economic losses in the industry but also involves the use of synthetic fungicides that contaminate soils, waters and cause health damage.

The second, has to do with the use of solid waste produced by the wine industry, which in the 2011 year reached figures of approximately 146.000 tons.

"Previous results obtained in our laboratory show that extracts obtained from these residues have moderate antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea", Advances the researcher of the Department of Biology of the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology about the project.

"Plants are an important source of secondary metabolites, among which are the phenolic compounds that have shown activity against various fungal species and which, moreover, are found in abundance in the residues of the wine industry"Explains Cotoras,"that is why the project raises as a general objective the formulation of a fungicide consisting of phenolic compounds obtained from the solid waste of the wine industry which present higher levels of activity than the natural fungicides used to control this fungus".

Regarding her expectations, the researcher from the University of Santiago projects "have a fungicide of natural origin formulated and validated at pilot level in the field and participate in the training of undergraduate and graduate students by completing their thesis"Says Cotoras regarding the proposal that will have a maximum execution deadline of 24 months and that involves the researchers: Dr. Leonora Mendoza (Faculty of Chemistry and Biology), Dr. Rubén Bustos (Faculty of Engineering) and the Viña Miguel Torres .

The Applied Science Contest benefited 55 projects that will receive, on average, amounts of up to $ 120 million, of a total of $ 6.200 million, with the purpose of supporting R & D projects with a strong scientific component and considering intermediate results. in short terms, with the perspective that they can become future products or services with a productive, economic and social impact.

Source: Dicyt.com