NEW NON-TOXIC, ORGANIC, BIOPESTICIDE TO PROTECT FOOD CROPS FROM BACTERIAL PATHOGENS

The long-term objective of TDA Research (TDA) this proposed project is to develop a novel, effective and safe bactericidal product for agricultural crop protection. TDAhas recently identified a chemistry that can provide equivalent bactericidal efficacy to copper-based pesticides, while having no detrimental impact on the plant, for the same cost. The formulation is an elegant solution in which all of the components are organic (OMRI listed) and on the FDA Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) list. The product will be registered as a, much needed, new active biopesticide. This is significant because no other pesticide consists entirely of GRAS compounds. This ensures that this product will be broadly accepted by conventional and organic growers and consumers.The specific goals for this project are to test in tank additives (adjuvants) that can provide rain persistence. Conduct a small-scale production run for the mixture for the crop evaluation materials. To conduct field trials on crops that are economically significant and where growers face challenging bacterial diseases.