“In the next 10 years biologicals will be the ‘go-to’ products” - Interview with Dr Mike Morris, Managing Director of Plant Health Products

Plant Health Products (PHP) is a producer of a broad range of biocontrol products for crop protection and crop growth enhancement. PHP aims to develop sustainable agricultural practices for a healthy environment, healthy soils and safe food. The company, based in South Africa, is a member of Andermatt Group, and now exports their products to the countries in Africa, Europe, North and South America. PHP has been converting the mistrust of biopesticides with their effective and safe natural solutions for pest control.

AgroPages interviewed Dr Mike Morris, the co-founder and Managing Director of PHP who has rich experience in biological control against plant pests and diseases. In this interview, he talked about current biocontrol market in Africa, future market trends, advantages of the PHP products, and the company’s development in the past and future.

Could you please illustrate some pests/diseases that are treated with a large number of biological products in Africa?

The market for biological control products in Africa is still very limited and only a few countries, including South Africa, Morocco and Tunisia, make-up most of the market. In South Africa, a large number of biocontrol control products, including both granulovirus and Beauveria bassiana based products, are used to control the false codling moth. This pest causes substantial damage to citrus, stonefruit, avocados and other crops. Other pests that are targeted by Beauveria bassiana based products in South Africa include whitefly, red spider mites, tomato leaf miner, thrips, stinkbug and potato tuber moth. Another good African example is the use of granulovirus based products to control codling moth in Morocco.

There are various biofungicide products on the market in South Africa which are used to control a range of soil based and aerial plant diseases. Most of these products are based on either Bacillus (bacteria) or Trichoderma (fungi). Examples of these diseases include grey mould, powdery mildew Fusarium, Rhizoctonia, Pythium and Phytophthora.

Can you talk a bit about Plant Health Products (PHP)?

PHP was founded just over 20 years ago by Prof Mark Laing and me. I had 25 years’ experience in biocontrol and had headed up the Government laboratory using plant pathogens to control invasive weeds. Mark and his students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal had been researching a biocontrol fungus that was ready for commercialization. Four years later the first product was registered, and sales could commence. Over the next few years four other products were registered. Sales also expanded from South Africa into several other African countries.

One of the focusses of PHP has been research and the development of new products. A parallel focus has been on developing products that are effective at controlling a pest or disease, are easy to use and have a long shelf-life. Formulation technology has received particular attention. Another area that receives particular attention is quality control.

What are the advantages/benefits of your biological products? How do they work?

PHP has specialized in the use of fungal or bacterial natural enemies to control various pests and diseases of crops. Several fungi infect insects either directly through their cuticle or by ingestion, killing them and then forming secondary conidia on the insect cadaver. This may lead to the infection of future generations of the insect pest. Some of the natural enemies of crop disease fungi may act as hyperparasites of the disease fungi infecting and killing the plant pathogen, others may also stimulate the plant’s own immune system to fight the disease. All of the organisms we use in our products occur naturally and are part of a healthy environment. They are safe to use, have little effect on non-target organisms and other beneficial organisms, leave no toxic residues on the crop treated (harvesting can take place on the same day as treatment), and generally lead to a healthier environment and safer toxin-free food. PHP is currently in the process of finalizing organic certification for our products and facilities and this will allow our products to be used by organic farmers. 

What challenges did you experience when trying to bring the products to a new market in South Africa and/or other African regions? How did you tackle these challenges?

Initially (10 to 20 years ago), there was resistance by many farmers to the use of our types of products. They were often considered “snake-oils”. There was/is also a myth that biologicals can never work as effectively as chemicals. We have proved this wrong through perseverance, by developing effective high-quality products, through working with universities and other research organisations to select effective strains of the organisms. Formulations are important. They must suit the organism, maintain its vitality and be easy to use by the end user. A long product shelflife that allows the product to move through the logistical chain to the end user is important. 

Perceptions are changing and farmers are becoming more receptive to biological products and even starting to demand them, particularly when residues are not allowed on export or other crops.

PHP exports products to countries in Africa, Europe, North and South America through Andermatt and other distributors. How has PHP grown to a global enterprise?

Initially our sales were limited to South Africa and a few other African countries. Then a local distributor, who also sold the Andermatt virus products, approached PHP for the rights to distribute our products. In 2013, PHP became part of the Andermatt Group, adding a different range of products to the Group portfolio. We now export products to Europe and are registering products in many other parts of the world. 

What does the future of sustainable agriculture hold for biological agri-inputs, such as those offered by PHP?

Over the last 5 years things have started changing fast. Farmers in many parts of the world are realizing that a move to more sustainable agricultural practices is needed. Rebuilding soil health has become important to prevent diseases and declining yields. The decline in bee populations has raised awareness that all is not well. Some analysts of the crop protection industry have even predicted that, in the next 10 years biologicals will be the “go-to” products. Many of the large chemical companies have started adding biologicals to their portfolios and many other biological companies are in the market. The competition is growing.

Where do you see PHP five years from now?

As part of the Andermatt Group, PHP has become an international player with registrations in process in many countries. We are developing a strong research team to develop new products to meet needs in the marketplace and aligning production capabilities to meet the developments.