Bioprospecting of beneficial microorganisms present in economically important fruit trees of Ecuador (Phase 2)

This project addresses the growing need in Ecuador to reduce reliance on chemical pesticides in agriculture, driven by the boom in fruit exports like pitahaya and maracuyá, and the environmental and health risks associated with agrochemicals. The main objective is to develop more sustainable phytosanitary management strategies through the use of beneficial microorganisms. The methodology focuses on obtaining leaf and fruit samples from tree tomato from various Ecuadorian provinces (Tungurahua, Pichincha, Imbabura). Microorganisms will be isolated using serial dilutions and plating on specific media for fungi and bacteria. Subsequently, they will be classified using differential staining. Molecular identification will be performed via DNA extraction, amplification of marker genes 16S (for bacteria) and ITS (for fungi), followed by Sanger sequencing. Finally, beneficial and pathogenic strains will be identified, and in vitro antagonism tests will be conducted to validate their biocontrol potential. This biotechnological approach is expected to substitute and reduce the use of hazardous agrochemicals, promoting safer and more ecological agricultural practices.<br/><br/><b>Goal</b>: <br/>To identify indigenous microorganisms present in economically important fruit crops in Ecuador, specifically tree tomato, with the potential to act as biocontrol agents against their main pests.<br/><br/><b>Research lines</b>: <br/>Biodiversity and genetic resources