Benefits of plant extracts may be key for more adoption of IPM

Guy Cooper, EVP Strategy, Commerce and BD of the Stockton Group, gave a presentation at Ag-Bio Congress 2014 organized by Informa Life Sciences earlier this month in Berlin, Germany, talking about “Plant extracts: the critical technology for the success of IPM programs”. During a 30 minute presentation, Cooper presented the benefits of bio pesticides based on plant extracts as a key driver in a more rapid adoption of IPM programs by farmers. Directive 2009/128/EC of the European Union (“the Sustainable Use Directive”) established a framework for achieving a more sustainable use of pesticides by integrating newer, softer technologies, like plant extract based bio-pesticides, alongside traditional synthetic chemistry. The main tool used under this approach is IPM (Integrated Pest Management) programs. Plant extracts are the ideal technology to achieve this goal due to their ease of use, broad spectrum of control and excellent compatibility with synthetic chemicals. 
 

The benefits and challenges of modern production were outlined during the talk, grabbing full attention of participant with much interest. “IPM programs integrate various technologies in order to reduce the harmful toxic chemical compounds. In the past, the majority of the farmers were mainly concerned with the price and the efficacy of the products, but due to the current regulation, they now have to take into account the environmental impacts too”, he explained. “At Stockton, we are committed to sustainable agriculture and are investing in research and development to create and find sustainable solutions to tackle the rising challenges of world food security. We focus our innovation around plant extracts as a potent natural source.”
 

An example of a plant extract based bio pesticide invented by The Stockton Group is Timorex Gold. The Timorex Gold is a proprietary multi-component natural fungicide based on a plant extract of the Melaleuca alternifolia. This natural fungicide provides simultaneous control of a number of important plant fungal and bacterial diseases while reducing the chemical load. The natural components contained in Timorex Gold offer multiple modes of action on fungal and bacterial cells and enable the creation of new effective and sustainable plant disease control programs for modern agriculture.