Fungal enzyme-based biofungicide for sustainable phytopathogen management

Overview

This solution offers a sustainable biofungicide derived from the enzymatic arsenal of white rot fungi, particularly Ganoderma lucidum, to control fungal phytopathogens in agriculture. The technology exploits intracellular enzymes from macrofungi, organisms known for their robust capacity to degrade complex compounds, to develop a biobased crop protection product. The lead application targets Black Sigatoka (Pseudocercospora fijiensis), one of the most damaging diseases of banana and plantain crops, where the bioinput has demonstrated over 80% efficacy in both in vitro assays and experimental field plots—performance equal to or better than Mancozeb, the conventional synthetic fungicide. The innovation is protected by a patent filing (SIC File: NC2022/0013531) and is being advanced toward commercial registration.

Technical specifications

• Active basis: Intracellular enzyme pool extracted from Ganoderma lucidum, a medicinal white rot mushroom with a highly versatile enzymatic system.
• Mode of action: Multi-site action that disrupts the hyphal structure of target fungi, rendering them incapable of regeneration, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis.
• Efficacy: Greater than 80% control of P. fijiensis under field conditions, matching or exceeding the performance of Mancozeb.
• Discovery platform: Proteomics-driven identification of the enzyme cocktail responsible for the multi-site antifungal effect (Arias et al. 2019), with future characterization using microscopy, quantum dots, biochemistry, omics, computational biology, and artificial intelligence.
• Sustainability profile: Clean, environmentally friendly bioinput that supports improved crop productivity and nutrition without the ecological drawbacks of synthetic fungicides.
• Future development: Formulation studies, pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic analyses, plus toxicity and ecotoxicity testing required for registration with the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA).

Technology readiness level

The biofungicide has been validated in vitro and in experimental field plots, demonstrating consistent efficacy above 80% against Black Sigatoka. A patent application has been filed to protect the intellectual property. Current and near-term activities include product formulation development, comprehensive mode-of-action and mechanism studies, and the regulatory toxicity and ecotoxicity testing required for ICA registration. The technology is positioned at an intermediate stage of development, with strong proof-of-concept results supporting advancement toward commercial deployment and potential expansion to other phytopathogens and crops.