Subventions et des contributions :

Subvention ou bourse octroyée s'appliquant à plus d'un exercice financier (2017-2018 à 2018-2019).

Production of organic horticultural plants is of great economical and environmental interest for Plant Select, anx000D
important producer located in Quebec. However the biofungicides currently available, based on thex000D
plant-beneficial bacterium Bacillus subtilis, show little to no activity against the major fungal pathogens ofx000D
Echinacea and Lavandula. While B. subtilis is well known for its capacity to prevent fungal infections inx000D
certain agricultural plants, its survival and colonization on these plants is unknown. Also, our laboratoryx000D
recently observed that B. subtilis forms dormant spores rapidly after colonizing a model plant, which decreasesx000D
its anti-fungal activities. Thus, we hypothesize that the lack of biofungicide effect of B. subtilis on Echinaceax000D
might be due to a defective colonization of the plant, by premature entry dormancy, or both. To examine thisx000D
hypothesis, we will follow colonization of leaves and roots through time after inoculation of Echinacea andx000D
Lavandula with two different B. subtilis strains in Plant Select greenhouses. These results will provide us withx000D
a better understanding of B. subtilis growth dynamic and survival on plants. In a second aim, we will examinex000D
the capacity of a variety of small organic molecules to stimulate the germination of B. subtilis dormant cells, inx000D
the perspective of developing a biostimulant that could improve the activity of B. subtilis on plants. Thisx000D
project will lead to a wider usage of organic fungicides in a perspective of sustainable plant production, thusx000D
providing healthier work conditions and reduce the impact of horticultural production on the environment.