Description du projet
Protéger les cultures de bananes contre les agents pathogènes
Les nématodes, les charançons et la maladie de Panama font des ravages dans les cultures de bananes, causant des pertes annuelles qui se chiffrent en milliards d’euros dans les îles Canaries, les Caraïbes et l’Afrique. Ces menaces mettent en péril la sécurité alimentaire, en particulier en Afrique subsaharienne, où des millions de personnes dépendent des bananes en tant qu’aliment de base et source de revenus. Les pesticides conventionnels ne sont toutefois plus viables en raison de leur impact sur l’environnement et des restrictions dont ils font l’objet. En l’absence de stratégies à long terme et de méthodes de contrôle efficaces, et compte tenu de l’évolution des conditions climatiques, les cultures de bananes sont confrontées à des risques croissants liés aux agents pathogènes et aux organismes nuisibles. Le projet MUSA, financé par l’UE, relèvera ce défi en exploitant le pouvoir des micro-organismes bénéfiques. Grâce à des méthodes innovantes de lutte intégrée contre les organismes nuisibles, qui s’appuient sur des micro-organismes bénéfiques, MUSA entend révolutionner la culture de la banane, protéger les cultures et garantir une production alimentaire durable.
Objectif
Nematodes and weevils of banana with Panama disease globally affect food security, causing yearly crop losses for many billion € in Canary Islands, Caribbean and Africa. These threats concomitantly affect crops in tropical and sub-tropical systems. In regions such as Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) millions of farmers rely on cooking banana, plantain and ensete as starch staple food crops and for income. Pesticides no longer represent a sustainable option for control, and many have been progressively withdrawn from use in the EU or are highly restricted, due to harmful effects on the environment and toxic residues. In SSA, where phytosanitary policies and regulations are often less effective, such pesticides are still being (mis)used, posing a significant threat to vulnerable farmers and consumers. In the absence of long term strategies or suitable control methods, and under the influence of changing climates in tropical and subtropical regions, the banana crops are becoming ever more exposed to pathogens and pests due to higher multiplication rates and prevalence induced by temperatures and rainfall patterns. The principal outcome of this project will be to achieve sustainable intensification of Musa spp. and ensete crops, through identification, development and implementation of IPM based on beneficial microorganisms. MUSA proposes, in a holistic view, IPM methods based on microbial consortia and banana germplasm, studying the plant reactions (phenotypic and molecular) to different biotic stresses. This will be achieved by screening, testing and evaluating in the field, selected banana lines, in an attempt to identify (via transcriptomic analyses) the principal genes involved in driving a resistant/succumbent response, and the interaction with beneficial microorganisms. The latter include endophytes and biocontrol agents (EBCAs) integrated with plant germplasm to develop information-based IPM strategies through field trials.
Champ scientifique
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagricultureagronomyplant protection
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologymycology
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesdata sciencedata mining
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencesnutrition
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiological behavioural sciencesethologybiological interactions
Programme(s)
Thème(s)
Régime de financement
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinateur
00185 Roma
Italie