AgroPages-China registers first Bacillus methylotrophicus biofungicide-Agricultural news

North China Pharmaceutical Group Aino Ltd obtained temporary registration from ICAMA in January for China’s first Bacillus methylotrophicus 9912 (BAC-9912) technical and wettable powder. The wettable powder is registered as an agent that works against cucumber gray mold. Munusamy Madhaiyan and others reported the discovery of B. methylotrophicus in 2010. BAC-9912 is a strain of marine bacteria that has been screened and separated from sea mud samples from the Bohai Sea---an experiment that was successfully conducted by the research team of the Institute of Applied Ecology, Shenyang, which is affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

An indoor determination of activity showed that the bacteria's biological substances, including the lipopeptide antibiotics it generated, have a very strong antimicrobial reaction to the pathogenic bacteria of gray mold (Botrytis cinerea). A toxicology study and environmental impact assessment proved the bacteria had no impact on or pathogenicity to people, livestock, or the environment. Field trials held for years prove BAC-9912 is highly effective against cucumber/tomato grey mold and late blight, cotton wilt, and apple rot. Meanwhile, BAC-9912 can be used as a Plant Growth Promoting Rhinoacteria. It is a novel, highly efficient, and environmentally friendly biofungicide that, after industrialization, will replace imported chemical pesticides and have great market potential.