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Richard Jones By Richard Jones|March 9, 2015

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More than 400 growers, pest control advisers and certified crop advisers, researchers, government regulators, and suppliers gathered in Fresno March 3-5 for the Biocontrols 2015 Conference & Tradeshow. This event – a first of its kind focused solely on the use of biopesticides and other biocontrols – brought attendees together for an in-depth discussion on the latest tools available, “how-to” production topics, market trends, and regulatory issues.

Attendees also spent time with nearly 40 exhibitors learning about new technologies, techniques and services that are making the use of biocontrols more mainstream with growers all over the country.

“Ours is a very economic and science-based business culture,” said Gary Schulz, the new CEO of the California Association Of Pest Control Advisers (CAPCA). “We encourage our pest control advisers (PCAs) to use all of the tools they have available, both traditional chemicals as well as many of the new softer materials including biopesticides and biocontrols.”

Sessions at the event covered a broad range of topics from crop-specific production techniques for fruit, vegetable, and ornamental crops to broader industry issues, including a spirited discussion on maximum residue levels (and how biocontrols can help growers stay under tolerance limits for sales to both U.S. and international markets).

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“EPA is trying to develop a more predictable regulatory process for these materials,” said Robert McNally, director of EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs, Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division.

Dr. Surendra Dara, Strawberry and Vegetable Crops Advisor and Affiliated IPM Advisor with University of California Cooperative Extension pointed out that as more useful biological products are becoming available, the technology is beginning to deal a little more successfully with the perception issues that have plagued it in the past. But there’s still work to be done, he said.

“Biopesticides do not have to be just for organic production. These are tools for conventional growers, too,” he said. “These materials do work.”

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Richard Jones is a former Corporate Content Director for Meister Media Worldwide. For more than two decades he served as an editor for brands in Meister's U.S. Horticulture Group, including  American Vegetable Grower®, American Fruit Grower®, Western Fruit Grower®, Florida Grower®, and Greenhouse Grower® magazines. See all author stories here.