Researcher seeks to control fungus that affects grape production

·         Dr Rodrigo Contreras is conducting a study that seeks to control the action of the Botrytis cinerea fungus and provide a solution to the problem it poses for the national wine industry.

 

Currently, vineyards in Chile cover a 125,000 ha surface and they produce over 1,200 liters per year, making wine production an essential part of national economy.

According to the Chilean Bureau for Agricultural Studies and Policies (ODEPA; in Spanish), Chile is the fifth larger wine exporter in the world; however, these production is at risk of being affected by the grey rot caused by the Botrytis cinerea fungus that causes the partial or complete loss of the grapes.

In order to contribute to the wine industry in the country, Dr Rodrigo Contreras Arredondo (Faculty of Chemistry and Biology of Universidad de Santiago de Chile) is conducting a study that will allow controlling the problems produced by this fungus after the harvest process and during transportation.

The study is in the context of a Post Doc Fondecyt Project supported by Dr Leonora Mendoza, an expert in the study of natural botrycides.

The species studied by Dr Contreras is able to survive in spite of extreme environmental conditions. After eight years of working with this species under the supervision of Dr Gustavo Zúñiga, he developed a proposal that would allow using natural products to control grey rot without affecting human health.

Application

The Vegetal Biotechnology and Physiology Laboratory at Universidad de Santiago- according to the researcher- is the one that has most information on this endemic extremophile species and the use of its molecules. For this reason, the study is at an advanced stage and it will continue now with the application stage.

“The project is focused on fruit and wine industry, as exported grapes get damaged by the fungus after the harvest process and during transportation,” he says.

He says that the botrycide is applied after the harvest process to prevent the fungus from affecting the grapes in order to keep the seal quality and designation of origin that distinguishes these products. “We want to use the natural products synthesized by the plant; i.e., we are going to use the plants as factories of active molecules and we will apply those molecules to the post harvest fruits, avoiding the use of synthetic pesticides,” he says.

First, the applied study will be conducted in laboratory conditions, seeking for a method to strengthen production and protect the fruits. Then, Dr Contreras expects to elucidate the complete mechanism that would prevent rot grey from developing. He concludes by saying that this extremophilic plant is biodegradable and that it does not have harmful effects on humans.

Translated by Marcela Contreras