DeNETer 2.0 Project: Nets with adsorbent properties: combining exclusion with biological control, confusion, and repulsion of pests

PROJECT COST:

405 067 $

PRIMA CONTRIBUTION:

177 283 $

PROJECT DETAILS:

Pesticide-free production remains difficult for many Canadian fruit crops due to the numerous insects and diseases that can damage diverse crops. In addition to minimizing pesticide use, cultivation under exclusion netting reduces damage from several pests to an acceptable level. However, commercially available netting, which already demonstrates good to excellent effectiveness against several exotic and endemic pests, acts strictly as a passive mechanical barrier against pests.

Building on the results of the DeNETer 1.0 project, in this second phase, Professor Jason Robert Tavares of Polytechnique Montréal and his collaborators are continuing the design and characterization of polymeric exclusion nets capable of releasing bioactive molecules in order to maximize their phytosanitary potential and scale up the modification processes to industrial production. The proposed approach is threefold: 1) Improve a surface texturization process that allows for the adsorption and release of pheromones, making it compatible with industrial deployment; 2) Establish scale-up protocols based on laboratory parameters and validate them on alternative bio-based materials to facilitate supply; 3) Validate the effect of pheromone release on the green apple aphid and the obliquebanded leafroller in an experimental orchard. The studies will take place in the laboratories of Polytechnique Montréal (surface modification and roll-to-roll process for scaling), Université Laval (characterization of bio-based polymers and identification of alternatives), and IRDA (entomological assessments and field tests), all in collaboration with producers (MDB Texinov) and users (Dubois Agrinovation) of exclusion netting.

In addition, the first three years of the project will provide training for six students, one postdoctoral fellow, two doctoral students, and three summer interns.