Large quantities of chemical pesticides are used to control plant diseases, raising environmental and health concerns. Biological fungicides are needed as alternatives to chemical pesticides, especially for crops receiving heavy chemical applications. However, biofungicides require special formulation to be consistently effective, affordable and compatible with standard practices. We are developing spray formulations of biofungicide for control of fruit and foliar diseases, but formulation development is needed. Fruit and turf diseases are important targets for biocontrol. For grapes, over $100 million is spent annually for dicarboximide fungicides for Botrvtis control, and resistance is developing. Golf courses receive over $90 million in fungicides in the U. S. alone, exposing the general public to potentially anti-androgenic fungicides and contaminating surrounding surface waters. Our biofungicides have been effective in the field, but control is inconsistent due to inadequate formulation adjuvants and incompatibility with chemical residues in spray equipment. The proposed work will test formulation adjuvants as nutritive spreader/stickers, which have been shown to be critically important. Also, dose ranging, compatibility with chemicals, and spray tank decontamination procedures will be tested. A production facility has been built; the proposed work will finalize product development in preparation for commercial product introduction.Applications:Completion of sprayable formulations and directions for practical use will make these biocontrol products compatible with standard practices and ready for commercial sales. Application of these biofungicide sprays has been shown to reduce chemical pesticide requirements by 50% or more on grapes, golf course turf. and other crops. Thus, these biocontrol products potentially can alleviate health and environmental concerns and save the grape and turf industries millions of dollars annually in pesticide costs. Furthermore, the information developed would be directly applicable to formulation of other fungi currently being developed for biocontrol of diseases, insects, and weeds in commercial agriculture.
