Bio2Bio

General introduction

To what extent can certain elements from plant waste streams serve as so-called biostimulant or biopesticide after processing or extraction? This research question is central to the BIO2BIO project. Biostimulants are natural molecules that promote plant growth or protect the plant from various forms of stress such as drought or heat. Biopesticides are molecules that protect plants from bacterial, fungal, insect or nematode infections. A major problem with biostimulants is that the exact active ingredient or ingredients are often not known and their mechanism of action is poorly understood. This project aims to understand the molecular mechanism by which a biostimulant or their combination exerts its positive effect on a plant. The objective of the research project is entirely in the context of the circular economy. The researchers focus on plant residual flows that are available in Flanders, and on a high added value creation of these flows.

Research approach

The research consortium is establishing a screening platform that includes a wide range of in vitro, greenhouse and field bioassays. The goal is to identify the major component of one biostimulant and one biopesticide and to understand the mode of action of the identified biostimulant or combination of biostimulants. The developed screening platform also performs testing for environmental toxicity in addition to potency as a biostimulant and biopesticide. We unravel the molecular mechanism by which a biostimulant or combination exerts its positive effect on a plant. The mode of action of selected products is studied in detail using integrated transcriptome and metabolome meta-analysis of treated plants as a function of time.

Relevance/Valorisation

Plants protect themselves from attackers by producing defense substances. Active substances have been isolated from crop residues and other plant residual flows to evaluate their potential be used as green, biological crop protection agents. This quest may lead to two discoveries: biostimulants or biopesticides. In a social environment and an agricultural sector that wishes to use fewer and fewer chemical pesticides while still generating an equally large and qualitative harvest, this research project is particularly relevant in the long run. The project identified multiple relevant extracts showing clear biopesticidal or biostiumlant effects. Two patent applications were filed and multiple papers published.