Intervento del Prof. Matteo Lorito di Università Federico II di Napoli al convegno Food and Feed for Wellbeing del 24 settembre 2015.

1. Self sustainable plants: the contribution of
soil-borne beneficial microbes
that improve food security (and safety)
Matteo Lorito
University of Naples Federico II
Department of Agricultural Sciences
lorito@unina.it

2. “ The chemistry in the plate“
In EU, 250.000 Tons/year
of agrochemicals
Robust legislation on
residues
EFSA tests positive on:
tomato, pepper, cucumber,
wheat, potato, carrot, pea,
spinach, lettuce,
mandarin, orange, apple,
pear, grape

3. The EU directive 2009/128
- promote low pesticide-input pest management, in particular
integrated pest management (IPM)
- priority given wherever possible to non-chemical methods of
plant protection and of pest and crop management
- non-chemical methods’ means alternative methods to
chemical pesticides for plant protection and pest
management, based on agronomic techniques, or physical,
mechanical or biological pest control methods
loss of synthetic chemical crop protection products as a result of the cut-off
criteria defined in Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009.

4. IPM covers a variety of practices
Agronomic practices
Landscape and field
margin management
Prophylaxis
Use of tolerant or
resistant varieties
Reduction and safe
application of pesticides
Use of BCAs and their
products
Selection and use of control
measures according to
economic thresholds
Crop rotations
Use of preventive
methods
Forecasting models and
decision support tools
Education and training of
people involved in crop
protection

5. New active ingredient (NAI) registrations in the US for conventional
pesticides and biopesticides from 1997 to 2010
the combined impact of NP, SND, and B with the EPA from 1997 to 2010 accounted for
69.3% of all NAI registrations

6. Bio-pesticides and and bio-fertlizers use and/or production
world wide
hundreds of registered products on the world market

7. Food security and safety depend on
soil and plant microbiomes & health
ASM study: “How Microbes can Feed the World”
being used i.e. by USA governement to define
new agriculture policies

8. Plant and soil microbiome

9. New pre-field selection technology of
beneficials
• Hybrid technology
• Selection driven by
microbiome analysis
• High throughput screening
• Selection driven by
metabolomics and
other ‘omics
• Selection driven by
genome sequencing

10. Effect of the interaction of a benbeficial soil-borne
fungus on the plant PROTEOME
Differential protein spots

11. CONTROL
HYTRA 1
6PP
HA
Effects on Arabidopsis thaliana (col-0) METABOLOME of
beneficial fungi and their metabolites

12. BAM1
BAM2BAM2 BAM2BAM1 BAM2BOT1BAM2BAM3
BAM2Nemacure
BAM2
Control no
nematode
BAM2
Control +
nematode
Control

13. Learning the biochemical language of the plant

14. Multiple effects and benefits or root colonization
by soil-borne beneficial fungi
Macrosiphum
euphorbiaeVOCs
VOCs
Aphid parasitoid
Aphidius ervi
Aphid predator
Macrolophus
pygmaeus

15. Introduction of next generation “elite” strains
(natural or hybrid)
• Certified / reliable multi-action
• Less susceptible to environment
• Fully characterized and genome
sequenced
• Trackable activity/presence
• Compatible with chemicals and
pollutants
• Target new invasive pathogens
• Limit cultivar/crop-associated
variability of the effect

16. New species and strains
• Selected for positive
interaction with i.e.
mycorrhyza and rhizobia
• “Exotic” strains adapted to
changing conditions or
specific application
(drought, cold, use in soil-
less etc.)
• Undiscovered endophytes
(i.e. Sebacinales)
M. Weiß et al., 2011

17. A plethora of products and applications
- oils, both steam and distilled and/or pressed : castor, cedar, cinnamon,
citronella, cloves, corn, cottonseed,garlic, geranium, lemongrass, linseed,
mint, peppermint, rosemary, sesame, soybean, thyme etc.
- inorganics: sodium chloride, and zinc metal strips
- the pure components: citric acid, eugenol, geraniol, lauryl sulfate, 2-
phenethyl propionate, potassium sorbate
- corn gluten meal, dried blood, malic acid, putrescent whole egg solids,
white pepper, propoli
- seaweeds
- chitosans and other sugars
- anti-weed bioproducts
- anti-stress for plants (especially abiotic stresses)
Cinnamon
Clove Black pepper

18. The project in Honduras (funded by UN)
•5 L per hectare of PGPF broth
•Directly into the irrigation system
•Saved energy and reduced cost
•Increased yield of up to 20% x 5 yr
•Strong reduction in pesticide/fertilizer
application

19. New products for natural microbiome enhancement
F.o. = Fusarium oxysporum
S.s. = Sclerotinia sclerotiorum
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
CONTROL T22 M10 Th1 MIXhigh MIXlow
%diseasedplants
Treatments
F.o.
S.s.
0,00
2,00
4,00
6,00
8,00
10,00
12,00
14,00
CONTROL T22 M10 Th1 MIXhigh MIXlow
%attackedplants
Insect damage (Tuta absoluta)
0,00
0,50
1,00
1,50
2,00
2,50
3,00
3,50
4,00
CONTROL T22 M10 Th1 MIXhigh MIXlow
Fruits for plant

20. Antiossidanti (ABTS)
0 0,02 0,04 0,06 0,08 0,1
mmol trolox/100 gr fresco
Beneficial microbiomes increase the nutritional
and nutraceutic value of food
trattati
Non trattati
Beneficial microbes stimulate the uptake in
the plant, and determine a relative increase
in the edible part, of minerals required to
avoid different malnutrition-derived human
and animal pathologies

21. Agro-food production needs to increase of
about 60% in the next 40 years (FAO)
and this have to be
achieved in a truly
sustainable way