Amebagone, INC is developing a novel microbial pesticide for the prevention of soft ROT in potato tubers

Each year, an estimated 15-30% of the U.S. Potato crop is lost to soft ROT, representing a market loss of $0.57B-$1.13B. There is currently no effective treatment available for this disease. Our solution is a biological treatment that uses the predatory power of dictyostelids (dicty for short) instead of harsh chemicals. Dicty are microscopic organisms that live in the soil where they feed selectively on bacteria. Amebagone has access to over 3,000 dicty strains from diverse geographic and climatic regions. We have identified dicty strains that feed on bacteria that cause potato soft ROT: dickeya and pectobacterium. Strains capable of feeding on dickeya and pectobacterium on potatoes at cool temperatures relevant to storage conditions (~50 & DEG; f) have also been discovered. Three strains identified during phase i research are even capable of reducing soft ROT severity in whole tubers. Conveniently, dicty produce large numbers of semi-dormant spores that are highly resistant to environmental stress and long-term storage. Spore germination releases metabolically active dicty cells that immediately begin feeding on surrounding bacteria. These spores will be the active ingredient in our future product and efforts to develop a large-scale fermentation method for spore cultivation are underway. Amebagone is also focused on maximizing product shelf-life, spore germination, and compatibility with other potato treatments. Finally, we will conduct trials with product prototypes under conditions that mimic commercial potato storage facilities.