Bioprospecting of beneficial microorganisms present in economically important fruit trees of Ecuador

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 passion fruit, and the environmental and health risks associated with agrochemicals. The main objective is to develop sustainable phytosanitary strategies through the use of beneficial microorganisms. The methodology focuses on the isolation and characterization of microorganisms (fungi and bacteria) present in the leaves and fruits of tree tomato and strawberry from the provinces of Tungurahua, Pichincha, and Imbabura. The process includes sample collection, isolation on specific media, classification via differential staining, DNA extraction and amplification (16S gene for bacteria and ITS for fungi), and Sanger sequencing for precise strain identification. Finally, in vitro antagonism tests will be conducted to validate the biocontrol potential of the isolated strains, aiming to substitute or reduce the use of hazardous chemical products and promote safer, more ecological agricultural practices.<br/><br/><b>Goal</b>: <br/>To identify native microorganisms present in economically important Ecuadorian fruit crops, such as tree tomato and strawberry, with the potential to be used as biocontrol agents against their main pests.<br/><br/><b>Research lines</b>: <br/>Biodiversity and genetic resources