Bourse scientifique

BIOFUNGI : controlling insect pests of crops with fungi


The Functional and Evolutionary Entomology Laboratory of Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech has just received a subsidy of 1.3Mi€ from the WALInnovn program (Walloon Region - DGO6) in order to develop a new strategy for the control of insect pests in our crops. Called BIOFUNGI, the project - carried out in collaboration with UCL's Laboratory of Mycology  - aims to develop a method for using entomopathogenic fungi to replace current pesticides.

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eplacing pesticides remains a necessity, especially in order to preserve our health and that of the environment. However, it remains very complicated to match the effectiveness of these plant protection products while maintaining a comparable cost. The BIOFUNGI project (Bio-control of phytopathogenic pests by fungal strains and/or biomolecules with entomopathogenic properties encapsulated in micro/nano-beads) - carried out at ULiège by the Laboratory of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology and at UCL by the Laboratory of Mycology - supported by funding from the WALInnov program, wishes to tackle this problem by developing a new pest control strategy for our crops based on the use of entomopathogenic fungi (insect eaters) that would be applied to the field to kill bio-aggressors.

"In order to make the application of fungi both effective - kill many insect pests - and targeted - avoid impacting auxiliary insects and pollinators - we will propose entomopathogenic fungi encapsulated in microbeads that will also contain attractive molecules for insect pests, explains Professor François Verheggen, researcher at the laboratory. These microbeads, which will only attract pests, will infect them by simple contact. "If the concept has already been tested, the BIOFUNGI project aims to make it a reality”.

Endowed with an amount of 1.317.823€, BIOFUNGI is based on two complementary expertises: that of Professor François Verheggen (ULiège), entomologist specialized in insect pheromones, and that of Stéphane Declerck (UCL), mycologist specialized in fungi and their encapsulation. Four people will be hired during the duration of the project (4 years) to develop this product, which will be developed by MEDINBIO, a Walloon company working on the implementation of processes aimed at reducing pesticides in crops.

WALInnov Program

WALInnov is a program of the DGO6 which aims to stimulate oriented research conducted within universities and to strengthen the excellence of the best research teams. Through this programme, Wallonia aims to support research projects with a high scientific and technological potential oriented towards the needs of one or more companies. The projects supported must be both interdisciplinary and inter-university and must be in the fields of chemistry and materials, health, mechanics and engineering, information and communication technologies, or in the fields covered by the six competitiveness clusters (aerospace, agro-industry, life sciences, mechanical engineering, logistics and green chemistry) or the transversal axes of the Marshall Plan 4.0 (relating to digital, circular economy and creativity).

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