TDA RESEARCH, INC. — Department of Agriculture SBIR Phase II: 8.2

Description

Floriculture and nursery crops represent one of the highest value-per-acre industries in the farm sector. Similar to food crops, ornamental crops are infected by many fungal and bacterial pathogens, resulting in substantial yield and quality losses. This project addresses stakeholder needs by developing a novel, low-risk disease management tool. This project will reduce the inappropriate application of synthetic pesticide chemicals, antibiotics, and environmentally accumulating metals, resulting in eco-friendly production, ensuring public and environmental health. This will increase the net profitability of all stakeholders along the production chain, including growers, distributors and retailers.TDA Research, Inc. (TDA) and our partners will optimize the novel oxidant chemistry for ornamental horticulture protection and microbial plant pathogen destruction. Utilizing the proof of concept data acquired in the Phase I effort, in Phase II we will optimize the formulation and acquire the data necessary to support its commercialization. Specifically, TDA will optimize the formulation, finalize commercial packaging and apply for outdoor use EPA registrations, perform extensive pathogen efficacy testing, application method testing and greenhouse extension work.TDA has developed a novel system to sustain the generation of a low but still highly effective level of oxidant over an extended time. This technology is ideally suited to treat plant surfaces to eliminate foliar plant pests that can cause catastrophic damage and economic loss. We have developed a formulation with biological efficacy just as good as commercially available copper based products; the best of the current systems. Independent testing by The IR-4 Project ornamental horticulture program has shown that our technology is better than numerous new and established technologies. We are developing this technology for use in the ornamental horticulture industry first because it has a faster regulatory path than food crops, this industry is large enough to support a business, and we hope this will allow us to gain acceptance and general use. We believe this technology is appropriate for both ornamental horticulture and food crops, once the product has established itself, we will work to expand its use against food crop plant pathogens.During the Phase II effort TDA will build on the Phase I proof of concept data. An optimized formulation will be identified with pest efficacy and phytotoxicity support data. A packaging and use rate procedure will be developed. This finalized product will be extensively evaluated against multiple pests. EPA registration for outdoor use against plant pathogens will be submitted. Application and extension performance data will be obtained. At the end of this Phase II project, this important new technology will have achieved regulatory approval, and have extensive performance data (both efficacy and phytotoxicity) to support its label and commercial use. TDA will begin commercializing the technology.Bacterial plant pathogens are particularly problematic because there are few pesticide products available to deal with them. Current bacterial disease management methods routinely apply copper-containing bactericides, but copper has a number of problems; copper resistant bacterial pests are becoming more common, copper leaves an undesirable residue on plant surfaces, and copper environmental contamination is a major concern. It is the long-term goal of this project to develop an alternative to copper and antibiotics based disease control, improving plant protection and reducing the environmental impact of accumulating heavy metal pesticides. This proposed work will develop a new bacterial and fungal pesticide management tool for ornamental horticulture applications.