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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Safer ACC (ACC â€“ An efficient harmless Plant Growth Regulator for fruit/vegetables RIPENING)

Teaser

Summary

The physiological processes in plants such as the growth, the development, as well as the maturation of the fruits are controlled and regulated by certain organic substances produced by the plants themselves, called Phytohormones among them highlight Ethylene. Specifically, the ethylene not only affects fruits, also in other plant organs, such as buds, flowers, seeds, leaves and roots. Besides, ethylene causes the lethargy of the plants, the growth and differentiation of shoots and roots, the fall of leaves and fruits, the induction of flowers in some plants, the ripening of the fruits among others.
Due to the important role that plays the Ethylene in Plants and in order to find a disruptive molecule that releases Ethylene, Justglobal is interested in the development of an innovative formula containing ACC (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid), as active ingredient, of natural origin that it is well documented its transformation by the ACC oxidase through the Yang cycle into Ethylene. Therefore, our investigations are focused on the synthetic optimization of the ACC, to reduce the production costs, decreasing its selling price, converting the solution into a safety, marketable and competitive product.
Before the market launch, the ACC considered as a Plant Growth Regulator and its formulation must comply the EU Regulation EC/1107/2009. In this sense, Justglobal must stablish the bases so ACC as formulation based on ACC to submit the application dossier according to the intended use as a commercial PGR, once proven its effectiveness in one safe use under the Regulation cited. It will also consider other different regulations that must be met in other targeted regions such as United States, Mexico and Brazil.
In parallel, this project includes the engineering activities to convert the optimized synthetic route of the ACC into a marketable product. It will define the equipment, auxiliaries, etc. with well-sized units. The inputs will be created while the laboratory batches of ACC are being completed, contributing to identify all the keys parameters and variables to control and specifications to be met for the pilot plant production unit. It will be provided the Piping and Instrumentation diagram (P&ID) which will show the interconnection of all process equipment together with the instrumentation used to control the process and will be the basis to define and develop the control system for the pilot plant. Finally, it will be carried out the procurement, assembly and start-up of the core components of the pilot plant.
On the other hand, the Dissemination and Communication Plan for the safer ACC project in order to develop a detailed commercialization strategy and financial plan are very important actions to market launch. In this context, the Video and the Website Project development, attendance/stands in fairs, face to face meetings with stakeholders, conferences and scientific publications are the main targets.

Work performed

We have developed the synthesis of ACC starting from Glycine in few steps using simplest structurally and economically accessible reagents. The first step was the carboxylic group protection and after the amine group protection of the Glycine. The protecting groups were properly chosen in order to allow the key cyclization synthetic step to obtain an ACC derivative in basic conditions with good yield and to be commercially cheap and easily removed in the last step of the ACC synthesis.
Parallel, we have developed an innovative formulation containing ACC in its sodium or potassium salts as a concentrated solution, an iron(III)-complex, Tween 20 and the oxidant H2O2. Two preliminary trials of efficacy of the formulation during the months of October and November 2018 in Olive trees have been performed.
The preliminary tests have studied the leaf and the yield assessment in %fallen leaves and fruits after vibration method of the Olive collection after application of the formulation in different concentrations compared with the reference product Ethrel and a blank. The results suggest that application of ACC formulation as well as Ethrel has not a clear effect on olive crop maturation and olive fruit abscission. No phytotoxic effect has been observed due to the application of ACC formulation or Ethrel. The results agree with the climatological data provided. The rainfall after the application in both cases was around 20-30 mm being enough to wash the product from the leaves of the Olives.
In addition, it has been carried out the identifying of the data gap analysis for the ACC active ingredient and its formulation according to Phys-chem, toxicological, ecotoxicological and environmental studies to fulfil the UE requirements under the Regulation (EC) 1107/2009 of Plant Protection Products as PGR. In this sense, it has been scheduled a plan to carry out these studies.
We have contacted with the Spanish, Greek and Italian Ministries of Agriculture in Europe to act as RMS and a company in Mexico. The Hellenic Ministry of Rural Development and Food would accept the application at any time.
Besides, we have established the technical specifications to be followed during the execution of the ACC pilot plant. The equipment and auxiliaries have been defined. Based on these specifications, a preliminary mechanical design with well-sized units has been created. It has been a must to identify all the key parameters and variables to control and specifications to be met for the industrial production unit. Thus, The Piping and Instrumentation Diagram (P&ID) has been developed which shows the interconnection of all process equipment (core unit and auxiliaries) together with the instrumentation used to control the process (sensors, electro valves and control HW). The P&ID has been the basis to define and develop the control system for the pilot plant.
The dissemination and communication overview contain the following elements: ACC Video and the Website, project development, plan implementation (Action and activities schedule), stakeholder, potential markets and clients, potential conferences and international events of agriculture, key messages and core values that should be communicated, tools and channels to send the message to the target audience and marketing material.
As a result, it will be able to be identified new opportunities to raise the company capital, to negotiate new agreements with suppliers or clients and to have a platform to release new communication campaigns.

Final results

Just Global has been searching in a molecule as an alternative for artificial fruit ripening, with the values of natural origin, harmless, new, quickly, uniform, reduces risk, international, biodegradable and eco-friendly. Therefore, Just Global can provide to the market with the best alternative to Ethephon. In this sense, Just Global has developed a formulation containing the Ethylene-releaser ACC an amino acid of natural origin whose function as PGR is to reduce the cost of the harvest in a wide number of crops and increase the harvesting yield, among others. So, Just Global would have the opportunity to address the problems with Ethephon and other techniques in artificial ripening and bring them to the notice of the scientific and non-scientific communities such as the stakeholders involved in the agronomic field. In this way, the values described for the ACC would be justified, which would imply greater safety in the health of the population and the environment.