Recent research undertaken in Brazil aimed to select and validate bacterial strains with triple action (plant growth promoter, phosphate solubilizer, biocontrol agent) in maize and soybean, with the objective of developing a multifunctional microbial inoculant for Brazilian agriculture, as well as shedding light on the genomic mechanisms associated with these beneficial traits.
Soybean and maize are some of the main drivers of Brazilian agribusiness. However, biotic and abiotic factors are of great concern, causing huge grain yield and quality losses. Phosphorus (P) deficiency is important among the abiotic factors because most Brazilian soils have a highly P-fixing nature. Thus, large amounts of phosphate fertilizers are regularly applied to overcome the rapid precipitation of P.Agricultural management strategies to improve P use efficiency by crops are essential to reduce the demand for P input. Some strategies include increasing soil pH by liming, crop rotation, double cropping, cover crops between seasons, no-tillage and the use of modern fertilizers. Other approaches involve developing P-use efficient cultivars and inoculating phosphate solubilizing microorganisms (PSM), which can make P available to plants through several mechanisms, some more related to enzymatic processes (phytases and/or phosphatases) and others to cell physiology. The study authors state that some of these microorganisms may have an effect as plant growth promoters and biocontrol agents againstplant pathogens.In addition, several strains of bacteria, actinobacteria and fungi have been reported and investigated for their ability to solubilize phosphate.“Among phosphate-solubilizing fungi (PSF), the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium are the most studied, while phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) include the genera Bacillus, Pseudomonas and Enterobacter,” stated the study. “Some Bacillus strains are known to act as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) either through the solubilization of minerals such as phosphorus or the production of metabolites such as siderophores and phytohormones. In addition, this genus contains excellent root colonizers, having members in the rhizosphere of a wide range of crops and can survive under many stress conditions and control variousplant pathogens.”
The researchers noted the genus Bacillus has different tools for controlling phytopathogens, including competition with pathogens for ecological niches and nutrients, production of antimicrobial metabolites and induction of resistance in the host plant. “Among the antimicrobial metabolites, Bacillus sp. can produce a wide range of antagonist compounds with different structures, having five to eight percent of the genome dedicated to the biosynthesis of these secondary metabolites.” Non-ribosomal peptides and lipopeptides, polyketide compounds, bacteriocins and siderophores are the main bioactive molecules controlling plant diseases.“To this end, we selected multifunctional bacteria from the maize rhizosphere and inferred the potential for application of these strains to obtain a biological product capable of increasing P uptake efficiency, promoting the growth of maize and soybean plants, and acting as a biocontrol agent for the main soil phytopathogenic fungi,” stated the study authors.
Researchers selected multifunctional bacteria from the maize rhizosphere and inferred the potential for application of these strains to obtain a biological product capable of increasing P uptake efficiency, promoting the growth of maize and soybean plants, and acting as a biocontrol agent for the main soil phytopathogenic fungi.
For that, strains of Bacillus sp. from the bank of microorganisms with high IAA production, phosphate solubilization and antifungal activity were selected. IAA plays an important role in root development, mainly in root hair and lateral root formation, improving water and nutrient absorption. In this context, strains with phosphate solubilizing capacity and with high IAA production may increase the area of nutrient uptake and thus enhance the strain's performance in phosphate solubilization.
According to the study, Kudoyarova et al. found that the Paenibacillus illinoisensis IB 1087 and Pseudomonas extremeustralis IB-ki-13-1A strains selected based on IAA production and phosphate solubilization contributed positively to the development of the wheat root system, favouring greater accumulation of plant biomass and phosphorus. In the present study, seven of the 13 strains evaluated in the greenhouse increased the root system compared to the control. However, no correlation was observed with shoot P content.
“Based on the greenhouse study, strain 03 (Ag75) showed a high potential for increasing (root and shoot) biomass and shoot P content in maize. Furthermore, this strain showed antifungal activity against the main soil fungi (R. solani, M. phaseolina, and F. solani), indicating that it is a promising strain for the development of a multifunctional microbial inoculant,” noted the study authors.
By genomic analysis, Ag75 was identified as Bacillus velezensis. This species is frequently isolated from different niches (soil, water, rhizosphere, fermented foods, among others), being considered a species adapted to the host and of high economic importance due to its ability to promote plant growth and biocontrol in several economically important crops. “For example, the FZB42 isolate has already been published in over 140 articles andis related to growth promotion and the identification of antimicrobial compounds responsible for biocontrol.”
For strain Ag75, cyclic lipopeptides (surfactin and fengycin) were identified, which have an important antagonistic effect on several fungal and bacterial pathogens, stimulating plant defense mechanisms and biofilm formation – key factors for successful colonization of biological control agents. Another large class of non-ribosomal peptides identified were polyketides (difficidin, bacillaene and macrolactin), which also play a role in antimicrobial activity. In Ag75, the metabolite bacillibactin, an important siderophore, was also identified.In addition to producing antimicrobial metabolites, the genome of Ag75 has genes related to plant growth promotion and phosphate solubilization activity. For instance, several identified genes are functionally linked to auxin synthesis and play important roles in the strain’s ability to stimulate plant development. In addition, the identified genes related to spermidine and polyamine production are suggested to participate in plant development and growth promotion, involving the production of active metabolites such as steroids, vitamin D3, cholesterol, cytokinin, statins and terpenes.
“Ag75 has several phosphatase genes related to phosphorus solubilization, including phytase, which is a particular class of phosphatases capable of mineralizing organic P from phytate and related P organic sources. Other studies also verified the presence of phosphatase genes in strains of Bacillus velezensis.”
Recent research aimed to select and validate bacterial strains with triple action (plant growth promoter, phosphate solubilizer, biocontrol agent) in soybean (pictured) and maize.
These mechanisms of P solubilization and mineralization combined with those related to promoting root system development favored an increase in P uptake and P use efficiency in maize and soybean when compared to the control without inoculation. Furthermore, these effects were reflected in higher yield increases in field experiments (17.8 percent for maize and 26.5 percent for soybean) in relation to the control 25 kg P2O5 and did not differ from the control 84 kg P2O5.
For phosphate solubilization, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), in partnership with the company Bioma, developed an inoculant (BiomaPhos) for this purpose. This product is composed of two strains (B. megaterium CNPMS B119 and B. subtilis CNPMS B2084). “Based on the studies by Paiva et al., this inoculant increased maize yield by 8.9 percent, which is corroborated by the present study with an average increase of 10.8 percent.”
“The Ag75 strain also showed antifungal activity against Rhizoctonia solani, Macrophomina phaseolina and Fusarium solani, with percent mycelial growth inhibition of 44, 49 and 61 percent, respectively, indicating antagonism of this strain against these fungi,” noted the study. “When analyzing the CFS against these fungi, mycelial growth inhibition percentages of 54 and 46 percent were observed for M. phaseolina and F. solani, respectively. For R. solani, inhibition with CFS was not observed.”
“Thus, the Ag75 strain has great potential for developing a multifunctional microbial inoculant that combines the ability to solubilize phosphate, promote plant growth, and be a biocontrol agent for several phytopathogenic fungi,” concluded the study authors. ●
The award was for a new category of commercial mite, Pronematus ubiquitus, that concurrently targets a key pest, russet mite, and the problem fungal disease powdery mildew.
“Pronemite is representative of a new family of beneficial mites; it’s the first effective biocontrol solution for russet mite control; the first commercialized fungal disease control using a mite; and uniquely the first commercialized biological control organism shown to simultaneously control a key pest and a problem pathogen in a protected crop. As such, it represents a whole new category of biocontrol,” said Felix Wackers, Biobest R&D director.
Before receiving the award, Wackers said Pronemite could be used preventatively by building up large populations of the arthropod using a feed supplement.
The Bernard Blum Award is presented annually by the International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association (IBMA) to the most innovative biocontrol product of the year. In his opening remarks, David Cary from IBMA said this year had received the most entries (19) where in the past the usual range is 12-15.
The recipient should have a high impact in the management of pests or diseases while having a low impact on human health and the environment. The four recipients of awards were given the chance to present their innovation at the opening session of ABIM (Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting).
The silver award for an innovative biocontrol product went to Andermatt Group AG for its product Plutex, a highly selective baculovirus to control diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella).
The bronze award for an innovative biocontrol product went to Spanish company Agrobío, which specializes in the production of beneficial insects for pest control and bumblebees for natural pollination. Agrobío has developed a new strain of generalist predator, Orius laevigatus, that the company said is better adapted to feeding on pollen, which helps to maintain beneficial populations.
Having been introduced last year, there was also an award for best innovative product assisting the uptake of biocontrol. The gold award went to CBC Europe for an insect trap that was developed using a branch of engineering that studies the effects and response of organisms to vibrations (biotremology). The company says the Shindo trap uses pheromones and produces vibrations that attract the target insect. ●
Biobest team receiving Bernard Blum Gold Award at ABIM 2022, presented by Jennifer Lewis (right), executive director, IBMA.
Tomato russet mites
By Janet Kanters
First detected in Uganda in 2012, papaya mealybug damage leaves the plants stunted and leaves deformed, hence killing the pawpaw plant. The pest is also evident in the Mukono, Lira and Luwero Districts of Uganda.
A survey by Uganda’s National Agricultural Research Organization (Naro) noted that the average Ugandan farmer cultivates the pawpaw crop on 0.75-2.5 acres while bigger farmers can go up to 10 acres. Those numbers have been affected by the mealybug with low productivity and poor-quality fruits. Trees take longer to bear fruit and when they do, they last one season instead of five or more as it was before.
The papaya mealybug can devastate whole crops if left unmanaged.
Photo: CABI
According to Stephen Byantwale Tibeijuka, the commissioner for crop protection from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, the solution-finding process has kicked off. “We are engaging with partners, districts, local governments and everybody about a new pest that has invaded our papaws. The papaya mealybug came to Uganda through Tanzania and it takes away money from farmers which impacts on the economy,” he said. “As government, when something like that comes in, we come in to guide our farmers.”
Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries along with Naro and Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), have set out on a mission to tackle the mealybug. A participatory rapid rural appraisal was conducted in Kayunga, Mukono, Lira and Luweero Districts to gain understanding of the presence, distribution and impact of the papaya mealy bug in the country as well as farmers’ management practices.
Identification remains the most important phase in fighting this pest. This can be done by identifying some signs such as yellow leaves, tasteless fruit, reduction in flowering and, when all these are visible, farmers are advised to chop and bury to kill the pest. It has alsobeen noted that pesticides might not be the best option as they can be poisonous.
Researchers arrived at the fact that application of biological control measures was the best bet on dealing with the papaya mealybug. It involves releasing of biological control parasitoids – natural enemies of the papaya mealybug include the mealybug destroyer (Cryptolaemus montrouzieri), lady beetles, lacewings and hover flies.
Earlier this year, CABI, in collaboration with the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), began stepping up the fight against the papaya mealybug in Kenya. Invasive species experts from CABI’s centre for Africa based in Nairobi performed a second field release of the encyrtid wasp Acerophagus papaya at three sites in Mombasa County as part of its work under the CABI-led global program PlantwisePlus. They also took the opportunity to train farmers on a pilot farm about the use of classical biological control of papaya mealybug using the parasitoid and how they need to avoid insecticides when doing so.
Papaya mealybug (shown) can be devastating, but the release of Acerophagus papaya in Kenya has seen the successful reduction of the pest’s impact.
Since its first report in 2016, the papaya mealybug pest has spread to over 53 percent of papaya producing counties in a span of just four years. Farmers spray up to 16 times in a season to control this pest, using highly hazardous pesticides which could negatively impact native insect biodiversity such as pollinators and natural enemies of pests. A more ecologically sound approach for management is the use of biological control.
Economic damage as a result of the feeding activity of papaya mealybug has been estimated by the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), CABI and KALRO in selected counties on pawpaw production, and has seen crop losses range from 53 percent to 100 percent and economic losses of £2,224/ha annually.
From the first release of A. papayae, the scientists were able to record 14 parasitoids on three papaya trees and a number of mummies were also present. In Kwale, they were also able to see eight parasitoids on two papaya trees as well as a number of mummies.
Opportunities for growthIn 2021, CABI scientist Dr. Lakpo Koku Agboyi outlined a range of opportunities for growth in the African biocontrol sector to fight crop pests and diseases. Based at CABI’s centre in Ghana, Dr. Agboyi spoke at the Global Biocontrol Conference 2021, saying there is already much being done in Africa to increase the use of more safer-to-use and environmentally-friendly biocontrol products to tackle challenges which affect the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers. He also spoke about the strength and weaknesses of the trade and adoption of biocontrol products in Africa as well as factors which could help drive their growth amongst smallholder farmers across the continent.
Dr. Lakpo Koku Agboyi
Current pests being managed include the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) – where an AgBiTech/CABI partnership under the Action on Invasives program in Kenya and South Sudan has seen the baculovirus product Fawligen prove effective against the pest.
Dr Agboyi also highlighted how Acerophagus papayae, which originated from Central America, was released in 2011 and has had a successful impact against the papaya mealybug pest in West Africa.
He also drew attention to the Green Muscle product, created by CABI and produced and marketed by international biological control producers Éléphant Vert, which is being used to control locusts and grasshoppers in Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal.
“In Africa, food security is hampered by crop yield losses of up to 40 percent due to pests and diseases,” Dr. Agboyi said. “Global attention has been brought to the use of more eco-friendly and cost-effective biocontrol options, but their development relies upon continuous research and innovation as well as willingness for their adoption – particularly by smallholder farmers.”
In his presentation, Dr Agboyi highlighted the various types of biocontrol approaches – including conservation, augmentative, classical and microorganisms-based
biopesticides – as well as who does research on biocontrol in Africa.
He outlined biocontrol success stories – such as the predator Teretrius nigrescens (Lewis) which, when released in 1990, proved effective control against the larger grain borer Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) and even raised awareness of the successes of the classical biocontrol of weeds in South Africa and East Africa.
For example, out of 103 biocontrol agent species introduced to control 51 weed species in South Africa, 70 percent have established, and 75 percent of targeted weeds controlled (Schwarzländer et al.2018). The release of Neochetina eichhorniae and Neochetina bruchi, for instance, led to the successful control of water hyacinth in Lake Victoria in Uganda (Cock et al. 2000; Wilson et al. 2007).
Dr Agboyi added, “There are a number of areas in which we can improve the uptake of biocontrol products in Africa. These include focusing more on developing more biocontrol products based on endogenous bioagents and the adaptability and applicability of biocontrol products in Africa’s ecosystems.
“We can also advocate for greater awareness through policy briefs, evidence notes, training and social marketing as well as regulatory harmonization and convergence across regions and countries.” ●
Global attention has been brought to the use ofmore eco-friendly and cost-effective biocontrol options, but their development relies uponcontinuous research and innovation as well as willingness for their adoption
In February 2020, the CABI BioProtection Portal – a digital free-access information resource – was launched. This collaborative initiative, being led by CABI, aims to provide growers and advisors across the globe with up-to-date, easily accessible information, on-demand, about commercially available biopesticide and biocontrol products. CABI tells New AG International that it is looking for partners and sponsors to join this initiative and ensure that this information remains free access in the future. Here, Dr. Emma Jenner from CABI reveals some of the successes of the portal so far, and the potential for more to come.
Dr. Emma Jenner
The global biopesticides market is growing at an exponential rate and is expected to reach USD$11.3 billion by 2027, according to Research and Markets.
It is being driven, among other things, by an increasing awareness about the environmental impact of agriculture, a growth in consumer demand for sustainably produced food and a drive by governments around the world to promote more sustainable pest management.
However, a lack of awareness among growers about more sustainable approaches and the challenges associated with adopting new technologies is expected to slow the growth of the market.
The CABI BioProtection Portal addresses this problem head on by enabling users to quickly find biological solutions for their crop and pest problems. They can also learn about biological control as a strategy, and how to apply it, through the comprehensive information resources that it houses.
Led by CABICABI is an international, inter-governmental, not-for-profit organization that improves people’s lives worldwide by providing information and applying scientific expertise to solve problems in agriculture and the environment.
With over 500 staff in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, CABI puts information, skills and tools into people’s hands – supporting food and nutrition security, ensuring efficient, safe and nutritious food.
The organization’s 49-member countries guide and influence its core areas of work, which include international development cooperation and research projects, scientific publishing and microbial services.
It receives core financial support from governments in the United Kingdom, China, Australia, Canada, Netherlands and Switzerland. Other sources of funding include programme/project funding from development agencies, the fees paid by our member countries and profits from our publishing activities which enable CABI to support rural development and scientific research around the world.
The idea to create the CABI BioProtection Portal was born from CABI’s Plantwise programme (which has now evolved into PlantwisePlus), which aims to empower farmers to increase income, food security and food safety amid a changing climate.
Over the course of 10 years, Plantwise has reached 51 million small holder farmers and provided them with access to information and tools needed to manage their pests more successfully and sustainably. The programme left a legacy of approximately 5,000 plant clinics where farmers can take their diseased or pest-infested plants for a diagnosis and management advice from trained plant doctors.
Through its work, CABI has become very aware of the lack of knowledge among farmers and national agricultural advisors about biological pest management. Information on what biocontrol is and how toapply it or obtain products is also woefully lacking.
Portal reputation is growingSince its launch, the CABI BioProtection Portal has welcomed over one million visitors to the site. Most users looking for pest solutions were farmers/growers – followed by advisors and researchers – with top crops enquired about including tomato, mango, rice, potato and maize.
The CABI BioProtection Portal enables users to quickly find biological solutions for their crop and pest problems.
The portal contains data for approximately 4,000 registered biological products across 32 countries – in English and local languages – and its geographical reach and product information is expanding fast. New countries are being added regularly from Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Australia.
“The CABI BioProtection Portal has all the information I need and has helped me to recruit more farmers into organic farming,” said Samuel Donald, a technical assistant for Interveg Export in Kenya.
Wycliff Wachira, an agronomist in Kenya, is equally enthused. “My farmers now have a wide choice of pest and disease control solutions thanks to the CABI BioProtection Portal,” he commented.
“I applaud the CABI BioProtection initiative to make biological control and sustainable practices the first option for pest management on a global scale,” said Dr. Germán Vargas from the National Coffee Research Centre (Cenicafé) in Colombia.
Power in partnership CABI is ideally positioned to lead the CABI BioProtection Portal, being a neutral and non-profit organization. However, we are not doing this alone. Behind the scenes lies a unique collaboration between biocontrol manufacturers and other stakeholders in the bioprotection industry, together with international governmental development agencies.
All parties have the common interest and motivation to promote biological control and increase awareness and use of commercially available biopesticide and biocontrol products among growers. This is turn will stimulate market growth and further increase demand for the development and registration of more products. Advisors, consumers, government policy makers and national regulators are also therefore important users of the portal.
The advantages of being a partner or a sponsor to the portal include:
Biocontrol manufacturers, as partners, also receive:
Dr. Ulrich Kuhlmann, executive director, global operations at CABI, said, “We are always open to welcoming new partners, donors and sponsors. The more partners we have, the more comprehensive and informative the portal will be for its users.
“Together we have a collective responsibility to support the transition to a more sustainable agriculture. This movement starts from the ground, working with growers and supporting the adoption of new biological pest management strategies on their farms,” added Kuhlmann. “The CABI BioProtection Portal is one way in which we can share knowledge with growers and provide them with the information and tools they need to be the drivers of change.”
Information is critical to making decisions. Growers and advisors around the world need free information about biological control at their fingertips if we are to stimulate the further growth of this market. Biocontrol can deliver solutions that answer many of today’s pressing problems in agriculture and the environment. With the right information in the right hands, biocontrol could become a catalyst for the transformation to a more sustainable agriculture across the globe.●
You can find out more about the CABI BioProtection Portal and how to join as an associate, partner, sponsor or donor by visiting www.bioprotectionportal.com or emailing Ulrich Kulhmann
Since its launch, the CABI BioProtection Portal has welcomed over one million visitors to the site.
Autonomous slug monitoring and precision treatment has been proven possible, thanks to agri-tech collaboration between the UK’s Crop Health and Protection (CHAP), Small Robot Company, and farming enterprise AV and N Lee.
Funded by Innovate UK, The SlugBot is a new cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to control slugs.
Now at its conclusion, the project has demonstrated the impact of combining improved monitoring with non-synthetic treatments, to unlock the future of slug control.
“Traditionally, methods for slug control have relied on actives such as metaldehyde or ferric phosphate. However, concerns relating to the over-use of metaldehyde and its impact on non-target organisms has resulted in its subsequent ban in the UK,” said Dr. Jenna Ross with CHAP, who led the project. “This meant that it was time to look beyond the existing crop protection toolbox, to more innovative solutions such as nematode-based bio-molluscicides, which is a particular passion areafor me as a nematologist. But despite effectiveness, bio-molluscicides are expensive, so we needed to finda way to make them more cost-effective.”
According to Ross, SlugBot investigated that conundrum. “Can we improve monitoring to know exactly where slugs are located in a field, and then spot apply biologicals to reduce the amount required, and therefore cost? Excitingly, we’ve shown that it soon could be reality.”
The project was delivered in three phases, combining a range of expertise across malacology (molluscs), nematology, biological control, crop protection, machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), multispectral imaging and spraying technology.
Stage one included slug collection, imaging at the CHAP and Rothamsted Research Digital Phenotyping Lab, and development of an AI model. More than 1,600 slugs were collected during this phase, focusing on two main species – the grey field slug and the Spanish slug. Image data was collected across a wide range of environments and scenarios to help feed and train the AI model.
For stage two, slug mapping capabilities were trialed in glasshouse and field conditions, using Small Robot Company’s Tom robot. This stage also included on-farm testing at AV and N Lee, testing Tom’s ability to take images, upload them for processing and identification, to then trigger the spray application.
Stage three focused on developing the precision spraying capabilities of the robot and trialing its use with a biological control agent. A 1-metre boom was developed, adapted from a conventional spraying system, with the final protoype capable of spraying 20x20cm.
“The SlugBot project has enabled Small Robot Company to develop an AI that can detect and map slugs in a field using our monitoring Tom robot and also an on-robot precision detect and spray system, which can be used to spray slugs in real time,” noted Andy Hall, product manager for robotics, Small Robot Company.
According to James Lee of AV and N Lee, experiencing state-of-the-art technology in the field to examine new methods of slug control was “truly fascinating.”
“Bringing different skills and knowledge together through the project partners, to work towards a solution to move agriculture forwards, was the real positive for me,” he said.
The work has proven the potential of autonomous monitoring and precision application within broadacre arable crops. Now established, the platform could be adapted to include new data sets to target a wide range of weeds, pests and diseases. ●
The SlugBot project worked with farmers, researchers and agri-robotics firm Small Robot Company to develop a solution to slug pests.Photo: CHAP
Syngenta Crop Protection is launching the world’s first commercial digital solution to diagnose infestations of plant-parasitic nematodes in soybean crops by analyzing photographs taken from satellites.
The new digital tool uses a unique, proprietary algorithm to analyze images of fields obtained by satellites, allowing it to identify areas of high infestations of plant-parasitic nematodes in crops and estimate potential losses caused by these microscopic parasites. Using the tool, farmers can make quick adjustments to their field management practices, helping them avoid losses in yield, as well as optimizing the use of inputs.
Syngenta will first market this service to soybean farmers in Brazil, where the company already offers a range of digital solutions. Syngenta notes that estimates say Brazilian farmers lose as much as 30 percent of their yield in highly infested areas.
The innovation is the culmination of a multi-year collaboration with Swiss-based AgTech startup Gamaya SA – a spin-off from Switzerland’s Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne – bringing together its specialized expertise in algorithm development together with Syngenta’s agronomic and crop knowledge. Syngenta is integrating this advanced digital solution within its own digital technology platform, CROPWISE. ●
Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc. (BVT) has partnered with U.S.-based Agri Spray Drones to trial drone application of BVT’s proprietary Clonostachys rosea CR-7 biological fungicide on large-acre crops such as soybeans, corn, alfalfa and canola.
“BVT has been primarily focused on delivering CR-7 via commercially-managed bees,” said Ashish Malik, CEO of BVT. “Additionally, we have also been working on alternate delivery methods including foliar, soil-applied, seed treatment – and now drone applications. This exciting development is part of our overall strategy to maximize the utility of our core patented asset,
CR-7, and expand its application into non-pollinated crops providing farmers an additional sustainable tool to control pathogens and improve yields.”
Drones are quickly becoming a desirable delivery method for plant protection products for the agricultural industry. They are fast, evasive of crop damage, can access fields in wet conditions where ground tractors can’t, and can fly close to the canopy, minimizing overspray or drift.
In the new partnership, BVT and Agri Spray will evaluate drone delivery of lightweight CR-7 powder onto crops such as soybeans and alfalfa. This will complement the seed treatment work BVT has also been focused on to enhance soybean crops, and holds potential to provide a season-long program for more efficient growth. Efficacy trials are ongoing and will continue into 2023.
“We are pleased to collaborate with BVT and are very excited to trial their biological fungicide CR-7 via our new T40 drone because of its ability to control pathogens in multiple crops on its own or in tandem with conventional pest and disease control programs,” said Alex Bennett, sales manager at Agri Spray Drones. “The capability to deliver this via drone to help farmers fight a broad spectrum of diseases and stimulate plant growth, resulting in greater crop yields, is a winning combination. ●
BiomaPhos increased maize yield by an average of10.8 percent.
Photo: Bioma.
