The Board of the Foundation for Agrarian Innovation (FIA) approved a total of 30 projects from the national call for Studies and Projects for Innovation in Sustainable Agriculture, including the project of the University of San Sebastian, Development of a probiotic to strengthen the production and fruit quality of the blueberry industry, led by Erica Castro, a researcher at the Institute of Public Health Policy, IPSUSS.
The contest is aimed at the management of natural, productive and technological resources in a sustainable way to overcome the changes in the behavior of the climatic variables structurally affecting the agricultural, food, and forestry sector.
This project proposes the development of a probiotic based on isolated Lactobacillus spp. from pollinating insects and the environment will promote the blueberry fruit industry by increasing the rate of pollination, preventing diseases in the fruits and in the plantations, and ensuring a higher fruit quality and postharvest stability.
The executive director of the FIA stated on its website that the selected projects aimed "at developing and validating new production alternatives adapted to the changes in climate variables and their behavior through time, or generating solutions to problems related to the alteration of yields, quality, and profitability of the production systems caused by the climate's variations."
Given this, the researchers from the University of San Sebastian realized that the fungal contamination of the fruits affected the crops, harvesting, handling, transport and subsequent storage of products; and while this practice is efficient in controlling pests, pollution, and diseases, it also has harmful effects on the product, the market, personnel working the product, and the environment. Particularly, it affects the insect species that provide pollination services in agriculture.
Castro said that "the development of the proposal could be carried out in the Bio Bio Region, and the field studies in Monte Aguila. The employment benefits of this product will impact the industrial sector and the small and medium enterprises, promoting the production of an environmentally friendly product with properties that will promote a comprehensive improvement of the industry, from the fruit's genesis to the postharvest stage. This, in turn, will also strengthen the link between the university and the business sector."
The deadline for the implementation of these initiatives is up to 48 months and, according to Erica Castro, this project is intended for three years, as it requires an entire production cycle. "The product is developed in 12 months but then we have to wait for pollination to try it and see how the fruits grow, are harvested, stored, and refrigerated."
"Getting this recognition was an achievement for the institution because it was the only university in the Biobio region that got selected, and that will strengthen the work being done in the applied science department of the University of San Sebastián," she concluded.
Source: USS / DICYT