Driven by high international demand, Chilean fruit growing has expanded steadily in recent decades. To maintain competitiveness, the sector has adopted intensive practices like higher planting density, aggressive pruning, and heavy fertilizer use.
Unfortunately, these practices have led to an increase in phytopathogenic fungal diseases, especially those affecting fruit tree wood. Such infections weaken the trees’ structure and significantly diminish their productivity.
To address this, the University of Santiago is implementing the Fondef I+D 2024 project: “Development of a nano-biotechnological formulation based on organic fungicides for the prevention and treatment of wood diseases in fruit trees.” This project is led by Dr. Luis Constandil, Director of the Neurobiology Laboratory, and Dr. Natalia Juica, both researchers at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology.
The initiative includes ANASAC, an agricultural and veterinary products company, as an associated entity. Our Vice-Rector’s Office for Research, Innovation, and Creation (Vriic) and its Technology Management Directorate (DGT) support its implementation.
As Dr. Luis Constandil explains, the research aims to “develop a formulation based on eco-friendly nanoparticles, synthesized from natural polymers loaded with naturally occurring antifungal agents to control infections in fruit trees.”
Dr. Natalia Juica adds that they aim to propose “a solution with biodegradable characteristics and low environmental impact, an effective alternative to the synthetic pesticides currently used in the agricultural industry.”
Leveraging the Neurobiology Laboratory’s expertise, they will utilize its capabilities in synthesizing, characterizing, and evaluating biopolymer nanoparticles for R&D projects in biomedicine and agriculture to achieve their goals.
Effective and Safe Formulation
The research is currently in its first stage of implementation, focusing on the synthesis and characterization of nanoparticles with antifungal compounds extracted from natural sources.
In a second phase, the team will evaluate the formulation’s effectiveness in both laboratory and real-world settings. They will also study the nanoparticles’ potential toxic effects on animal and plant cells, aiming for a safe and reliable agricultural solution.
Dr. Luis Constandil explains that upon project completion, they anticipate reaching “a level of technological maturity close to TRL 5, which means having a prototype tested in a relevant environment.”
Collaborating with ANASAC, the team then hopes to conduct larger-scale trials and validate its field performance.
Benefits for Industry
“Reducing economic and production losses, enabling effective prevention and health management of fruit trees, and ensuring low impact on human health” are among the benefits this sustainable solution for wood diseases offers the industry, according to Dr. Constandil.
Finally, the researchers plan to advance product development by seeking new funding to continue scaling up the formulation with ANASAC.