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- Three new projects aim to modernize pest and disease detection
- Primary sector: AI Infrastructure
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The development of advanced genomic diagnostic tools is set to significantly update how British Columbia monitors and manages pests and diseases affecting its $1 billion annual fruit and vegetable export sector. Genome BC has funded three distinct research projects designed to provide growers with technology-forward methods for crop protection.
The first project addresses plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs), microscopic worms that stunt growth by feeding on roots. Currently, the province lacks diagnostic services for PPNs because existing identification methods are costly and require deep expertise. To resolve this, researchers from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will develop quantitative PCR (qPCR) tests capable of detecting and quantifying eight economically significant PPN species in B.C.
The shift toward genomic diagnostics offers B.C.'s agricultural sector a pathway to more precise and sustainable pest and disease management than traditional, often limited, diagnostic tools.
A second initiative focuses on developing a natural biopesticide against wireworms, common pests to potato, corn, and cereal crops. Renaissance Bioscience is creating this targeted solution using RNA interference (RNAi), combining it with biodegradable yeast bait. This method aims to be an environmentally safer alternative to chemical pesticides, offering high specificity validated in trials against pests like the Colorado potato beetle.
The third project targets major pathogens affecting B.C.'s berry and tree fruit crops. Led by researchers from AAFC and BC MAF, this effort will generate whole genome sequencing data for two key pathogens. The goal is to develop rapid qPCR diagnostic tools that can identify these pathogens at the species level, addressing the limitations of current testing methods some describe as being decades old.
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