Research at the National Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) has discovered bioactive compounds capable of inhibiting the growth and even killing fungus Thielaviopsis ethacetica, the cause of one of the five most frequent pests in sugarcane fields. The study was published in journal Environmental Microbiology.
The fungus can prevent cane seedlings from sprouting or slow down their development, leaving the affected areas damaged. The organism usually manages to get into the plant stem through wounds caused during planting or mechanized harvesting.
The bioactive compounds capable of inhibiting or killing the fungus were found in three types of bacteria found in the collection of seven thousand microorganisms from the National Laboratory of Bio-renewables (LNBR). When the bioactive molecules in these bacteria were tested, the scientists found the total inhibition of the growth as well as the death of the fungus.
At Brazil’s National Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS), responsible for the operation of particle accelerator Sirius, spectroscopic analyses confirmed that the biomolecules had damaged the DNA of the fungus. “This tool is crucial to addressing several similar challenges in farming. Since the technique is highly sensitive, you can detect molecular interactions even in complex microorganisms such as fungi,” said Francisco Maia, one of the authors of the study.
Brazil is the world’s largest producer of sugarcane. In the 2020–21 harvest, the country accounted for an output of 654.5 million tons, put towards the production of 41.2 million tons of sugar and 29.7 billion liters of ethanol.
The research was supported by the São Paulo Research Foundation, FAPESP.
Translation: Fabrício Ferreira - Edition: Maria Claudia