Mould Matters & Future Fungicides
From Science Queeries by JOY 94.9 - Rainbow Community Podcasts for our LGBTI, LGBTIQA+, LGBTQIA+, LGBT, LGBTQ, LGB, Gay, Lesbian, Trans, Intersex, Queer Communities
May 16, 2026 · 42 min
About this episode
Dr Donovan Garcia-Ceron discusses the challenges of traditional fungicides and the potential of RNA-based fungicides in sustainable agriculture.
Fungi aren’t all bad. They’ve given us penicillin – one of the most important medicines ever discovered. But they can also rot our crops, threaten food security, and spread resistance to our best fungicides. Climate change is introducing fungal diseases where they previously didn’t exist. And as farmers use more fungicides to combat these threats, fungi develop resistance – creating a vicious cycle of increasing pesticide use, environmental pollution, and diminishing effectiveness. Dr Donovan Garcia-Ceron is on the case. He works at Victorian Strawberry Industry Certification Authority Research to ensure that we can all have good strawberry fields forever. He discusses why traditional fungicides are losing effectiveness, and how RNA-based fungicides can “silence” fungal infections – essentially telling fungi to turn off the genes they need to cause infection. Next generation fungicides could revolutionise sustainable agriculture. Originally aired 5th May, 2026. The post Mould Matters & Future Fungicides appeared first on Science Queeries .
People in this episode
Guest: Dr Donovan Garcia-Ceron
Topics covered
- fungicides
- sustainable agriculture
- fungal diseases
- climate change
- food security
Keywords
- fungicides
- fungal infections
- sustainable agriculture
- climate change
- food security
- pesticide resistance
- RNA-based fungicides
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Victorian Strawberry Industry Certification Authority Research
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