Biocontrol Technologies takes part in the RhizocNEW project meeting with Wageningen University
Biocontrol Technologies is taking part in the RhizocNEW project on the integrated management of Rhizoctonia in potato crops in the Netherlands. Part of this project is also carried out at the University of Barcelona (UB), under Professor G. Segarra, through a collaboration agreement between Biocontrol Technologies and the UB.
On 18 June, Wageningen University (the Netherlands) hosted a meeting of the partners of the RhizocNEW project, an initiative in which Biocontrol Technologies participates. The meeting brought together researchers from the university itself, as well as representatives of potato growers and developers of varieties and plant protection products, mainly from the Netherlands and Belgium.
The project, which has been running for approximately a year, focuses on developing effective strategies against Rhizoctonia, one of the soil-borne diseases with the greatest impact on the potato crop. Caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani, the disease compromises crop development and affects both crop quality and final yield.
During the session, a set of integrated management measures for the control of Rhizoctonia in the potato crop was presented. The document was shared with the project partners in order to gather their comments and suggestions and to move towards the most suitable management strategies. This collaborative approach is designed to combine scientific knowledge with the practical experience of the growing sector.
The day also included a visit to the university’s facilities where the trials are being carried out. These trials assess the effect of different cover crops, such as buckwheat, oats and fodder radish, on the subsequent incidence of R. solani in the potato crop. The use of cover crops is an increasingly important agronomic tool, both for its contribution to soil health and for its role in sustainable management.
As part of the visit, one of the experimental pots was opened to observe the development stage of the potato plants and to assess the symptoms caused by the pathogen. This practical demonstration allowed participants to identify the disease’s symptoms in a hands-on way, on plants previously inoculated with the pathogen, and to gain first-hand insight into how the trial is progressing.
Biocontrol Technologies’ involvement in RhizocNEW reflects its commitment to developing biological solutions and integrated management strategies for crop health. In this field, the company has developed RootDei Biocontrol®, a biological fungicide based on the active substance Trichoderma asperellum strain T34 and intended for the potato crop, currently registered in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Its participation in initiatives such as this reinforces the role of biological control in safer and more sustainable crop protection.
