The research, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, utilizes bentonite-type clays as a vehicle to carry natural essential oils. These compounds act against Erwinia amylovora, the bacterium responsible for the disease, enhancing their persistence and distribution on flowers, a critical phase of infection.
Bacterial fire affects over 130 plant species in the rose family, causing significant economic losses. Its control often requires antibiotic treatments during flowering, which can promote antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, developing alternative solutions based on natural substances is a priority for more sustainable agriculture.
“"The goal is to find alternatives that allow reducing the dependence on antibiotics without sacrificing effective crop protection."
The ICV-CSIC's contribution focused on designing advanced materials through sustainable manufacturing processes. Bentonite acts as a support, helping essential oils remain on the flower surfaces during the most vulnerable period to infection.
The team, led by José Francisco Fernández, a researcher at ICV-CSIC, has also worked on scaling up manufacturing processes to facilitate future application of this technology in real cultivation conditions.
Field results show great potential: nanomaterials loaded with essential oils reduced disease incidence by 76%, an efficacy close to that of streptomycin, the reference antibiotic, which achieved 81%. Analyses also confirmed a lower bacterial presence on treated flowers.
Researchers observed that bentonite remained adhered to the flowers for up to nine days, extending protective action during a key stage for infection. This work demonstrates the potential of nanostructured materials as vehicles for natural substances for crop protection and opens new avenues for innovative, effective, and sustainable solutions.
Due to the technology's application possibilities, the CSIC has filed for a European patent.
