MYCOCAP

Objetivos

General:

Within this project’s framework, the isolation of different mycorrhizal fungi strains has been proposed, strains that are selective and specific to different target crops, which will later be microencapsulated for their application in seeds of said target crops, while at the same time keeping them safe from the effect of the chemical fungicides also applied to the seeds
and protect the micorrhizae during the first days from the effect of such fungicides.

With this solution, we manage to reduce treatment applications, a clear advantage for the farmer in reducing farm operating costs while maintaining the efficacy and the benefits resulting from the application of crop-specific mycorrhizae.

Specific objectives:

1. Kimitec’s commercial objective is to expand its current product portfolio with exclusive and unique ecological products to differentiate themselves from the competition
   and to grow in the area of production of generic mycorrhizae, where it is currently a reference. We use a process of obtaining ultra-pure mycorrhizal concentrates (without contamination of other microorganisms, thanks to the aseptic conditions in which the multiplication process is carried out), that we commercialize under the name of Mycogel. This product has mycorrhizae propagules, and it is used in a large number of crops, having obtained important economic benefits in the crops in which it has been applied. However, the strains are not crop specific.
2. The present project will make it possible to obtain the most efficient mycorrhiza strains for each crop, improving the results obtained with Mycogel, since, by selecting the most efficient mycorrhizas for each crop, it will be possible to increase the concentration of mycorrhiza propagules capable of symbiotically associating with the target crop in each case. This will improve the quality of Kimitec’s products, while making them an exclusive novelty in the market, differentiating them even more from the competition.

Technical objectives:

1. Select strains of mycorrhizae, specific for the selected crops.
2. Encapsulate, through different microencapsulation techniques that we will have to study, the spores and propagules of specific mycorrhizas of the selected crops.