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Volume 7, Issue 6 (Suppl)
J Biotechnol Biomater, an open access journal
ISSN: 2155-952X
World Biotechnology 2017
December 04-05, 2017
2
nd
World Biotechnology Congress
December 04-05, 2017 | Sao Paulo, Brazil
Developing biopesticides, biofertilizers and bioproducts for next generation green revolution and
sustainable agriculture
Ze-Chun Yuan
1, 2
1
University of Western Ontario, Canada
2
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canada
M
odern agriculture is largely based on dense cropping and heavy application of pesticides and fertilizers, resulting in very serious
issues such as soil pollution and land degradation. Therefore, it is necessary to develop alternative and greener strategies
to combat pests and pathogens towards sustainable agriculture and environment. There are large number of microorganisms in
nature, soil, capable of suppress crop pathogen, diseases and pests. In addition, accumulating reports uncovered the beneficial
microbes for crop growth promotion, including phosphate or potassium solubilization and nitrogen fixation. The beneficial traits of
microorganisms can be harnessed and utilized as alternative strategies to fertilize crops or reduce crop disease and pests. Over the
years, we have been isolating, characterizing and applying beneficial microorganisms as biopesticides, biofertilizers or bioproduct
factories. These include
Paenibacillus polymyxa
CR1,
Burkholderia cenocepacia
CR318,
Bacillus velezensis
9D-6,
Arthrobacter sp
. LS16
and
Acinetobacter calcoaceticus
CA16. We are also carrying out complete bacterial genome sequencing to further characterize the
genetics and regulatory pathways for the beneficial traits of the isolated bacteria. Here, we will summarize our research and latest
discovery in develop biopesticides and biofertilizers, and discussing their potential application in reducing chemical fertilizers and
pesticides, towards more sustainable agriculture and environment.
Biography
Ze-Chun Yuan is a Research Scientist and Principal Investigator at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. He is a Research Professor and Graduate Student’s Supervisor
at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Western Ontario, Canada. He has expertise in soil microbiology, bacterial genetics and genomics with
great passion in improving crop health and productivity through alternative strategies. He has been isolating and characterizing beneficial microorganisms to manage crop
disease or improve crop health and productivity, in particular, developing biofertilizers and biopesticides to reduce the use of classical fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture
and horticulture. He is also interested in developing renewable bioproducts from biomass, in particular, crop residues. His research also involves synthetic biology and
microbial engineering aiming at rewiring microbial metabolic pathways towards higher productivity of bio-based products and chemicals. He looks for opportunities for
collaborative research and training of highly qualified personnel.
zyuan27@uwo.caZe-Chun Yuan, J Biotechnol Biomater 2017, 7:6 (Suppl)
DOI: 10.4172/2155-952X-C1-085