A More Clear Picture on Biological Crop Protection Options
February 7, 2021 The requisite time to research and develop biological crop protection solutions is “shrinking,” according to Tristan Hudak, the Vice President of Ag Biotech. At the same time, while costs remain high, the market is seeing an influx of new products that are backed by venture capital funding, he says.
“This is beneficial for the biologicals sector, (but) the wide array of solutions can make this cutting-edge space a little more difficult to incorporate into farm practices for growers,” Hudak says. “Further funding into research, either by consultants or Extension agents, will help to make sense of the new products and organize them by efficacy, method of application, and best practices.”
Here to add insight on the current state of the market and their respective companies are several manufacturers of biological crop protection products:
Novihum Technologies
The next big hurdle for biological products, according to Chief Growth Officer Virginia Corless, is to achieve reliability and predictability.
“Because of their complex — and often undefined — modes of action and dependence on interaction with existing soil and plant biology, and because they are often derived from highly variable natural sources that lead to variations in formulation and quality, they are not yet fully reliable crop inputs,” Corless says. “We anticipate this will be a focus area for the industry.”
Corless says Novihum Technologies has made “great strides” to overcome this hurdle for its soil improvement products. The company uses a highly controlled manufacturing process and strict quality control to ensure that every bag of Novihum has the same chemistry.
The company has also invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in research to understand Novihum’s modes of action, Corless says, such that it can “reliably recommend to farmers how, when, and where to use Novihum to obtain predictable benefits to crop yields and quality and fertilizer and water efficiency.”
Certis USA
On the disease front, bacteriophages (bacteria eaters) continue to expand in use after showing efficacy in managing diseases such as fire blight, bacteria spot/speck, tomato and citrus canker, Vice President, North America Mike Allan says.
“The targeted nature of bacteriophages offers an effective alternative where bacteria have developed resistance to other tools, i.e., some agricultural antibiotics, making phages an ideal resistance management tool to prolong the use and effectiveness of crop inputs for disease control,” Allan says.
Regarding insect control, as concerns for spotted lanternfly (SLF) increase, biologicals offer effective tools in the management of the invasive pest. Two Certis products, BoteGHA ES and PFR-97 20% WDG, have shown efficacy in controlling SLF, Allan says.
“We’ve also seen promising performance from a new Btt formulation for control of Colorado potato beetle that we’re excited about delivering to the marketplace in 2021,” Allan adds.
Vestaron
The company spent much of 2020 focused on educating the marketplace on the first product family derived from its insecticidal peptide technology, SPEAR-LEP and SPEAR-T. The active ingredient in the bioinsecticides impacts a specific neuromuscular target site in a way that is distinct from all other insecticides, according to Field Development Biologist Daniel Peck.
“SPEAR-LEP targets lepidopteran pests in high-value field crops — tree fruit, nuts, vines, and vegetables — through ingestion,” Peck says. “In combination with a gut disruptor, like Bt, this large molecule passes into the insect body cavity and gains access to the central nervous system. SPEAR-T targets small, softer-bodied pests — aphids, spider mites, thrips, whiteflies — through contact activity. It gains access by diffusion through the spiracles.”
Vestaron will expand efforts this year to advance two new peptides through its development pipeline, “solidifying our aim to be the peptide company for crop protection,” Peck says. In addition, the company is in early development of proof of concept for its first anti-fungal peptide.
“Conventional pesticides certainly bring good performance and consistency as plant protection tools. Yet their safety and sustainability downsides, including insecticide-resistance challenges, compel us to keep exploring and exploiting new opportunities,” Peck says.
Vestaron’s products aim to overcome existing resistance issues while offering desirable safety profiles for workers, beneficials, and the environment, Peck says. Beyond insect control, the discovery, manufacturing, and regulatory hurdles overcome by Vestaron open the way for other plant protection products in the future.
Peck advises growers to revisit the timing of their pest management interventions.
“Performance of an insecticide application depends on targeting the correct insect life stage when it is most susceptible,” he says. “So, take the time to reassess aspects such as your scouting protocols, reliance on degree-day (vs. calendar) models, and choice of preventive vs. curative tactics. Do not let poor timing be one of the reasons why insecticide performance did not live up to expectations.”
Bioline AgroSciences
Specific to insect control, the movement of existing species into new areas and crops is likely to be the biggest challenge, according to Senior Technical Lead Caroline Reid.
“Having highly adaptable species and products that can be used in many crops and regions is the key to successful insect control,” Reid says. “The development of technologies to allow use of current beneficials in these new crops and regions is the key to future success.”
Bioline’s newest product, Starskii (Amblyseius swirskii), controls whitefly and thrips and can be applied in multiple crops and crop conditions. Its design includes the climate-adapted release technology (CART).
Another product, Tricholine (Trichogramma pretiosum), increases the company’s Trichogramma portfolio. “We have many species for use in different regions,” Reid says. “Tricholine p. is native to North America and controls a wide range of lepidoptera pests on a wide range of crops.
Regarding disease control, the development of beneficial insects that could control plant diseases and fungi is at a lesser stage than insect control but is constantly being evaluated, Reid says.
Kemin Crop Technologies
Growers continually face new pest and disease challenges and restrictions when it comes to pest control, according to Technical Services Manager Michael Hull.
“Providing growers with environmentally friendly options that have proven efficacy will help them control the diseases and pests while being safe and sustainable at the same time,” Hull says. “These biologicals developments will be vital for the future of sustainable agriculture, crop health, and protection.”
AgBiome
Introduced in the last year, Howler (Pseudomonas chlororaphis) is a novel, mode-of-action fungicide for control of soil-borne and foliar diseases in strawberries, fruiting vegetables, grapes, caneberries, leafy greens, onions, cucurbits, and potatoes. According to Bond McInnes, Technical Services Manager – East Coast, it attacks fungi at multiple sites, providing disease control with low risk of resistance, according to the company.
AgBiome worked with university scientists in 2020 from the Midwest (Ohio, Wisconsin, and Michigan), Northeast (New York, Maine, and Massachusetts), and Southeast (North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida). They evaluated Howler for performance in fruit and vegetable crops, with excellent results, the company says. Several trials on the West Coast in 2020 were cancelled or rescheduled due to COVID-19.
Grower success with biological crop protection necessitates correct rate, preventive applications at the first sign of disease, and repeating applications at timely intervals based on disease severity and a conducive environment.
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