Bioinsecticide market growth with new techs and business alliances

According to the study of Mordor Intelligence, the global bioinsecticide market size is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12.3%, from the value of USD 1,457.8 million in 2018 to reach an expected value of USD 2,820.1 million by 2024. The impact of chemical pesticide on non-target organisms, the increase in pesticide resistance and safe produce demand, and high costs associated with the chemical pesticide development, are boosting the growth of the bioinsecticide market. This is driving the R&D for ground-breaking technologies so that the industry continues to release novel products, in despite of certain constraint in the market.

AgroPages interviewed Dr Minshad Ansari (Founder and CEO of Bionema), Néstor Coltell (Agronomical Engineer and R&D Manager of Biagro) and Silvia Todorova (President of Anatis Bioprotection), who introduced the advantages of their latest or flagship bioinsecticides, and shared their experiences in overcoming the constraint in the market. They also talked about their business plans for the near future.

Can you please give us a brief introduction about your company?

Bionema

Founded in 2012, Bionema Ltd is a leading, UK-based, Biopesticide technology developer, specialising in chemical-free, biological crop protection for safe and sustainable agriculture.

Our research is focused on the development and commercialisation of naturally occurring microbial control agents to protect crops from pests and diseases, which allows a reduction in the use of synthetic pesticides - minimising the environmental impact and increasing crop yields.

The company manufactures and markets biocontrol products for use in the agriculture, horticulture, sports turf amenity and forestry sectors and provides training aimed at increasing product efficacy. 

In 2017, Bionema developed the game-changing NemaTrident^® tri-component solution and in 2018 it developed the microencapsulation formulation and delivery system to improve biopesticide foliar application for pest and disease control. Shortly afterwards, the company raised£680,000 equity investment to accelerate EU product registration to fill the gap in the market created by the removal of pesticides. Bionema was also awarded more than £1 million in grant funding from Innovate UK and the Welsh Government to continue its development of ground-breaking biopesticide formulation technology.

Bionema has also won many regional and national awards for its continual success in product innovation, development and commercialisation.

Biagro

BIAGRO S.L. since 1982 manufactures and markets products in order to solve all kinds of technical issues that take place in the field. Our products are distinct from the competition based not only on their high quality source but also to the continuous development of technically advanced formulations.

We specialize in the manufacture of zero-residue organic products with high efficiency and profitability assured through ecological, safe and without waste products. Our product portfolio includes Soil Regenerators, Biostimulants and Nutritionals, Specials and Bioprotectors (pests and diseases).

Anatis Bioprotection

Anatis Bioprotection (www.anatisbioprotection.com) is a Canadian company, based near Montreal, Quebec, in operation since 2009. Our team consists of researchers of great expertise and we excel in the field of innovation. We are producers and distributors of beneficial insects and mites and we create and register bioinsecticides, based on entomopathogenic fungi. Our field of activity is with plant protection against insect and mite pests.

Can you talk about your latest/flagship bioinsecticide? How is the product different from what are currently on the market?

Bionema

Despite a huge increase in the global biopesticide market, which is growing at an estimated 16% CGAR and is expected to reach US$10 billion by 2025, there is urgent need for the continued development and commercialisation of unique formulations to continually improve product efficacy.

Bionema has developed a range of biocontrol solutions, called NemaTrident^®, to help tackle the damage caused by insect pests across several affected sectors.

This patented product is a unique tricomponent solution that incorporates a range of highly virulent species of insect-parasitic nematodes within the Heterorhabditis and Steinernema genera, together with a biocompatible wetting agent, which offers a 20-30% higher efficacy than similar products in the marketplace. These selected nematodes attack and destroy the larvae of the insect pest – preventing future pests from developing. They are safe, non-toxic to users and consumers, decompose rapidly and can be targeted at specific pests to avoid harming beneficial insects.

Our ground-breaking, flagship technology is the microencapsulation formulation platform (Incapsulex™), which increases biopesticide efficacy by delivering control agents in a microcapsule direct to target pests by enhancing adhesion and increasing persistence on plant surfaces. It maintains biological stability when stored at ambient temperature; creates micro-environments to retain water for spore germination; enhances adhesion to plant surfaces; and protects biopesticides for longer persistence – resulting in improved delivery, efficacy and cost reduction.

Biagro

Our latest product developments are based on using the own defenses found in the soil and in the plant to counter pathogens. As a result of these developments, we find various products, among which it is worth highlighting:

PUP-STOP, composed mainly of specific rhizosphere fungi with a greatcapacity to bioregenerate soils and which minimize the susceptibility of plants to pathogenic organisms that limit productivity, mainly insects. The difference from other bioinsecticides is its direct action on insect pupae and larvae and its great respect for the environment and for auxiliary fauna.

FUEGO, formulated based on beneficial microorganisms, it favors radical development under stress situations induced by pathogenic fungi in the soil or by phytophagous nematodes. Its nutrients manage to establish an ecological niche antagonistic to their development in the rhizosphere and, unlike other products, they also have a mycoparasitic action on various harmful microorganisms. 

Anatis Bioprotection 

Our first line of bioinsecticides BioCeres^® consists of products, based on fungus Beauveria bassiana.

The first product BioCeres^® WP (wettable powder) is registered since 2014 against thrips, whiteflies, and aphids in Greenhouses in Canada, and against numerous pests in Greenhouses and fields in the USA.

A new (emulsified concentrate) formulation, BioCeres^® EC is available (December 2020) in Canada for GH use, and very soon in the United States.

All our BioCeres products are efficient, certified organic and they are not phytotoxic. The active ingredient, strain ANT-03, is not virulent to the bees and many beneficial insects and mites and could be vectored by them in the GH and fields.

BioCeres will be the first fungus-based bioinsecticide, approved for use in the field and turfs in Canada.

What is the key constraint in the bioinsecticides market? How does your company overcome them?

Bionema 

In my opinion, the high cost and lengthy requirements for EU registration are severely limiting the development and commercialisation of biopesticides in Europe. This needs to be addressed urgently to ensure that end-users in the EU have access to these products and to allow developers and manufacturers in the EU to compete fairly with their counterparts in other parts of the world.

The regulatory authorities should ensure fast-track registration of biopesticides on justified regulations, which will promote the adoption of safer technologies in commercial product development. Additionally, the regulatory system should enable small-medium biopesticide technology developers to continue to innovate, so that they can provide growers with reliable tools for the economical and eco-friendly control of pests and allow growers to supply food products that meet the expectations of consumers.

Bionema’s primary focus has been to prove the technology in these tough regulatory arenas, which we continue to do.

Biagro 

The main restrictions that we currently find in the market for bioinsecticides in Europe is legislation. It is highly complicated and expensive in time and money to register a product according to Regulation CE 1107/09. There should be more lax measures for the registration of certain types of products that are obtained from nature and that are proven not to be dangerous for man or the environment.

To overcome the inconvenience of the high registration costs, we join forces with a group of several companies.

Anatis Bioprotection

The organic market is just starting to open in North America. It is a fast-growing market, but farmers are conservative and slow to adapt to change. Our challenge is to show them the advantages of the bioinsecticides. Some of the chemicals or neonicotinoids are now forbidden or restricted here. We show conventional growers how to integrate BioCeres into their control programs. With the resistance of insects to different chemicals, BioCeres helps them change their phytoprotection strategies. Beauveria bassiana acts by contact and the development of resistance has not been recorded to date. 

What launches and/or news from your company will be seen in the near future?

Bionema

Innovation in biopesticide formulations and delivery systems are the core objective for Bionema, enabling the company to commercialise multiple product lines and to generate a pipeline of advanced and early stage products that include microbial based bioinsecticides, and delivery platforms. Bionema has also developed a robust patent portfolio and has collected a library of more than hundred commercially viable microbial control agents for pipeline candidates.

We are now rapidly moving from early successes in the turf and amenity sectors into mainstream specialist high value crops and forestry. We are continuing our development of unique formulations and delivery systems to increase efficacy in different cropping systems – bringing effective non-chemical solutions into the hands of growers globally.

Biagro

Our company continues to bet on biorational and ecological products and, based on this, we are investigating new bioinsectides, biofungicides and botanical extracts. A clear example of this commitment is given by the marketing this year of two new products: MADUPROX (optimizer of processes linked to ripening) and ORTIGRO (bioprotector with insecticidal, acaricidal and fungicidal action).

With them, we continue to expand and enhance our families of Biostimulants (amino acids, correctors, algae-based products...) and Bioprotectors (insecticides, fungicides and nematicides based on plant extracts), the result of the strong investment in R&D that, constantly, carries out our company.

Anatis Bioprotection

We are expecting before year end two new registrations of BioCeres^® WP and BioCeres^® GR (granular) for field use in Canada to control the populations of Colorado potato beetle, Lygus bugs, White grubs, and Chinch bugs. The files for BioCeres^® EC and GR are deposited with the EPA and we expect that they will be available for the USA market in 2021.

We are also working on a new product, based on a different fungus and with high specificity against Dipteran pests. 

How about your international plans?

Bionema

Bionema’s scientists are developing a nematode and insect killing fungus technology for emerging countries where access to biopesticides, water and cold storage are limited. The technology allows local producers to manufacture and scale nematode and microbial bioinsecticides at a fraction of the cost of current production methods. At the same time, it provides extended shelf life and protection from environmental conditions.

For example, Bionema has developed a cost-effective and scalable approach to the manufacture of fungal spores for emerging countries. This unique fungal strain is a highly effective, commercial bioinsecticide that can control a wide range of soil and foliar insects.

Bionema uses a unique subscription model to allow local producers to access the technology, gain support and the training needed to produce their own bioinsecticides.

We are also focused on additional product roll outs, both technical and commercial, that will take place in the Americas and we are keen to develop relationships in Asia to bring Bionema solutions and technology platforms to this region.

Biagro 

In addition to a great implementation at the national level, we continue to promote the internationalization of our company to make it more competitive globally.

Our success is based on the synergy of forces between manufacturer and distributor to reach the optimum level of implementation in the country. We provide all the business power of a manufacturer with 40 years in the fertilizer sector and the guarantee of providing proven quality products to achieve business alliances in the most interesting agricultural areas worldwide.

The presence in countries of five continents, together with an extensive external commercial network, provides us with a great international experience, experience that we are boosting to continue our expansion, especially in the Asian and Latin American markets.

Anatis Bioprotection

Given the impressive performance of BioCeres in North America, Anatis is actively looking for partners or distributors to commercialize our BioCeres product line internationally. (For contact: stodorova@anatisbioprotection.com)