December 1997, Volume 18 No. 4

Company News

A round-up of some relevant industrial developments. More detail on many others can be found in AgBiotech News and Information, published monthly by CAB INTERNATIONAL.

Establishment of an International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association

The global plant protection market today exceeds US$ 30 billion world-wide, biocontrol lags behind and comprises less than 2% of the total. This is due to the fact that the biocontrol sector remains to a large extent in the hands of relatively few small, very small or medium-sized enterprises (manufacturers and distributors) which cannot devote enough resources to develop markets, despite growing public demand for safer technologies.

National, regional and international agricultural policies, such as the European Agenda 2000 document, or the AGRAR 2000 Project in Germany, are based on the major use of biocontrol methods, including integrated pest control strategies. These policies require rules and regulations to be set up and adopted which should ensure quality and safety of agricultural products, the food supplied to consumers, and the environment.

In late 1995, a number of biological control companies decided to set up an international organization to promote the biological control industry with a more coordinated and hence effective voice. The International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association (IBMA) was therefore created in November 1995. Dr Bernard J. Blum, Chairman of IBMA, estimates that by early 1996, about 50% of world biocontrol manufacturers had joined IBMA, and by the end of 1997 this figure had risen to some 70%, world-wide. In addition some pre-existing biocontrol associations, such as the European Semiochemical Association, have joined IBMA, and talks have been initiated with other institutions in order to harmonize views, without requiring their integration into IBMA. The IBMA intends to offer a forum for cooperation and a harmonization of views for all those active in biocontrol: research organizations, private con-sultants, traders and even interested individuals.

In recognition of the diversity of biocontrol activities, IBMA membership is organized into four professional groups: macro-organisms, micro-organisms, semiochemicals and natural extracts. A possible fifth group dealing with genetically modified organisms and plants is being considered. In addition to this structure, there are three cross-cutting Working Groups identified by IBMA's General Assembly, covering regulation issues, quality/standards/certification, and biocontrol promotion.

At present, given that biocontrol companies are widely dispersed around the world, with most in North America and Europe, membership relates to the international organization rather than any regional sections. However, national and regional issues or considerations might justify setting up regional or national grouping, as is being considered now for Japan or Switzerland, or for an Economic Interest Grouping (EIG) in Europe.

An IBMA Newsletter is published quarterly to create a link and provide information to members. Business opportunities are selectively offered and IBMA can provide, on request, market information and training support in different business fields. IBMA can also select from amongst its members the experts and the consultants able to provide services to companies and organizations which may need them.

Dr Blum notes that IBMA has been acknowledged by international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Bank and the European Union as a representative spokesman for the biocontrol `industry'. Consultation and dialogue has been initiated, especially in the field of setting up new regulations.

International funding for the benefit of the members is being sought in order to assist them to undertake research, promotional activities or invest in production and distribution facilities. Particular emphasis is being placed on supporting initiatives in professional ethics and ensuring the quality of the products supplied by the members to the market. A Charter of Principles will be adopted at the end of 1997. A working group of IBMA is starting to promote product quality standards, with the aim of providing an internationally acknow-ledged certification, in such a way that members will be entitled to use a quality label on their products.

The IBMA is targeting for biological control to have 15% of the plant protection market in ten years' time, and this is a principle focus of its working group on biocontrol promo-tion. Only at this level, it is felt, will the biocontrol industry really become viable and able to allocate the necessary resources to its independent development and to meeting public demand for biological control. A promotion strategy has been accord-ingly adopted and begun to be implemented which involves, amongst other things, creation of an Inter-national Biocontrol Trust, a charitable organization which would undertake educational, information and support activities, at the international level.

IBMA is and should remain the association of all biocontrol activists, at the international level. Their participation in the Association is therefore highly needed, wherever they are located and whatever their activities.

Low-Cost Mass Production of Predators

Successes such as that achieved by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Biological Control Program against the cassava green mite, Mononychellus tanajoa [see BNI 18(1)], have shown that spectacular control can be achieved by mass-releasing predators against agricultural pests. However, the commercial production of predators for use in augmentative release programmes is hampered by the logistic problems and high labour costs associated with the production of vast numbers of prey in order to be able to rear predators in sufficient numbers for release. Often, a three-component system of plant, prey and predator is necessary to produce large numbers of predators.

Predation, Inc. of Alachua, Florida is making advances in the application of proprietary artificial diets and other associated technologies to mass-produce beneficial predators with up to a thousand-fold reduction in the costs of production. In addition, packaging systems are being developed which allow the predators to be shipped together with artificial diet to maintain viability during shipping and to extend shelf life. The company was founded by Jim White (now Vice President) in 1993 after six years at Biosys, Inc. (California). Dr William A. Summers, formerly of Ambico, Inc. of Iowa joined Predation in January 1996 and is now President and Chief Executive Officer.

The development of Predation's first two products was aided by the award of Phase 1 grants under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. These grants addressed artificial diet and mass production technology develop-ment for the pink-spotted ladybird (Coleomegilla maculata) as well as predatory mites (Amblyseius cucumeris) attacking spider mites and thrips. The ladybird, a predator of aphids, spider mites and caterpillars, will be the first product to reach the market. Its launch is planned for early 1998. Predation optimized an artificial diet and integrated this into a low-cost mass-production system.

Although widely recognized by both professionals and the general public as beneficial insects, ladybirds have so far had only marginal commercial success. Because of its wider host range, C. maculata is argued to be a better candidate for pest control than the currently marketed ladybird Hippodamia convergens. Furthermore, most H. convergens which are sold today are harvested from over-wintering sites rather than mass-reared, a practice which is not environmentally sustainable. These factors, in combination with the low-cost production system, are expected to make the product a commercial success.

A Phase 2 USDA SBIR grant has now been awarded to refine the system for predatory mites. Under Phase 1, a diet and production system was developed for the thrips predator Amblyseius cucumeris. In this second phase, the diet will be optimized and production will be scaled up with a target of 100 million to one billion mites per month. It is anticipated that large-scale commercialization of A. cucumeris may soon be possible in the large and lucrative Florida vegetable industry. Later, this production system will be adapted for growth of the spider mite predator Phytoseiulus persimilis.

Other predators being targeted include big-eyed bugs (Geocoris punctipes), the fungus gnat predator Hypoaspis miles and predatory mites for control of plant parasitic nematodes. Develop-ment of systems for these products is less complete.

The research supporting this progress has been enhanced by a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the USDA Agricultural Research Service through the laboratory of Dr Patrick Greany of the Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology in Gainesville (Florida), and a second CRADA is being established with Dr Allen Cohen at USDA-ARS' Biological Control and Mass Rearing Research Unit in Mississippi State (Mississippi). However, although the USDA grants have allowed research and initial development, the company are now seeking investment from the private sector to finance further commercial development.

Because of the high cost of production, the use of predators in biological control has been largely restricted to low application rates in high-value cash crops. By adapting this tech-nology to new systems, Predation plan to make biological control using augmentative predator release a viable option for lower value and high acreage crops.

For further information contact: Jim White, Predation, Inc., 12085 Research Drive, Alachua, FL 32615, USA

Phone/Fax: +904 418-1482

E-mail: predator@biotech.ufl.org