Top 10 biologicals news in October & November 2021

Below are the most-viewed reports regarding biopesticides, biostimulants and markets that were published on AgroPages in October & November 2021.

Croda: How to select the correct components for your biopesticide-based products

Carlos Eduardo Oliveira da Silva, Lead Researcher at Croda explores various methods that are available to assess the compatibility of formulation components with microorganisms, to produce highly stable biological products. Methods discussed include Croda’s new patented capability, highlighting how this provides additional information to make more informed decisions about formulation design. More>>

Ingevity: Biopesticides - An eco-friendly approach to plant protection and crop yield

In recent years, increasingly stringent government regulations and growing consumer pressure to minimize the use of chemical pesticides have caused a shift in the agriculture industry toward more sustainable practices. Biological products, known as biopesticides, are derived from natural materials. They typically consist of two distinct categories: microbials and biochemicals. Microbial products originate from bacteria, fungi or viruses, while biochemical products are either of botanical or biochemical origin.

The current global biopesticide market is estimated to be worth $5 billion with an annual growth trajectory of 17%. North America and Europe represent over 65% of the biopesticides market, while Latin America has the fastest growth rate. Bioinsecticides make up almost 50% of that market and biofungicides more than 40%, while bionematicides and bioherbicides constitute a small portion. Interestingly, bionematicides for seed treatment application are the fastest growing portion of the global biopesticides market. Microbials represent the majority of biopesticides with nearly 60% of the total market.  The promising growth trajectory of the integrated pest management (IPM) approach in agriculture is expected to influence the future growth of biopesticides. More>>

AlgaPure seaweed extract flakes help farmer grow yield

Yantai’s (Yantai City, Shandong Province, China) grape planting area reaches 24,000 Ha, and it is one of the three major grape producing areas in China. The annual output of grapes reaches 140,000 tons and the output value reaches 5.6 billion yuan. It is a major pillar industry that promotes the economic development of Yantai. The requirements for grape quality are strict. Low sugar content is one of the important factors affecting the quality of grapes, and the composition of fertilizers has a greater impact on the quality of grapes. One of prevailing fertilizers at the region is AlgaPure, pure seaweed extract flakes. Because of the good results, those who have used AlgaPure seaweed extracts have basically become repeat customers, and the purchase volume is increasing year by year. Many grape growers say: "AlgaPure is indispensable if you want good harvest grapes." More>>

Origin and test method of Humic Acid previous and present

With the continued booming of the biostimulant market, humic acid, as an important part of biostimulant industry, has attracted more and more attention. The test report of humic acid is an important criterion for quality evaluation (Note: product content does not represent product quality). However, there are different test standards and methods which make people puzzled about the real content of humic acid products. As test technology develops, methods are being gradually unified, but there are still some countries where different test methods are applied, which lead to existence of non-uniform registration processes causing difficulties to manufacturers. Over the past 20 years, TBIO Crop Science has witnessed the changes in the humic acid test methods in various countries, and has participated in research and preparation of some of the test methods. Here is an elaboration of the test methods for humic acid, which may answer some of your queries. More>>

Leili, Together Creating Value for Partners and Farms

Leili, as one of the world’s leading producers of biostimulants, has been serving the Latin American regions for more than 20 years. Their solutions have proved especially effective on avocado, banana, blueberry, mango, pineapple, potato, rice, corn, animal feed pastures, etc. 

In each country, Leili has focused on strategy together with local partners and Leili local teams. The company believes it should not only provide high-quality products but also help farms to use the solutions well to solve the key problems. More>>

FAW-Guard: “A Novel Microbial Consortium Solution for Fall Army Worm”

The R&D dept. of IPL Biologicals Limited has innovated a novel Consortia product namely, FAW-Guard, using the two effective entomopathogens i.e., Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana along with certain additives and metabolites, in a specialized formulation process. After rigorous lab testing and field studies of multiple formulations, FAW-Guard (formulation-23) was found effective in controlling the population of Fall Army Worm. It is also eco-friendly in nature and also harmless to natural predators and parasites. More>>

Biopesticides: Natural alternatives to toxic chemicals for pest and disease control

An important distinction between conventional chemical pesticides and biological alternatives is the fact that, while you might think of pesticides as something that kills pest insects, some biopesticides aim to control – rather than obliterate – them. This gentler approach provides a more selective effect that does not affect beneficial insects and is harmless to the surrounding environment.

This guide will teach you how biological alternatives use nature itself against insect pests to provide effective control, instead of spraying our crops with toxic chemicals that are potentially harmful for humans and animals alike. More>>

Tradecorp launched the biostimulant Biimore in India

Tradecorp has launched the biostimulant Biimore in India (marketed as Quikon). The product was initially developed for the Brazilian market and became the country's first registered biofertilizer.

Biimore biostimulant is aimed at fruit swell and development in horticultural crops and tree fruit, as well as pre-flowering in broadacre legume crops. More>>

UPL announces long-term collaboration with Chr. Hansen to develop and commercialize microbial solutions for sustainable agriculture

UPL Ltd., a world-leading champion of sustainable agriculture and OpenAg™, has announced a long-term strategic collaboration with Chr. Hansen, a global bioscience company, to develop microbial-based biosolutions (including biostimulants and biopesticides) that will help growers around the world fight pests and diseases, and improve crop quality and yields.

Through this collaboration, UPL will use its global presence to undertake research and identify opportunities and product concepts to address farmers' pain points. From these insights, Chr. Hansen will design biological products based on their microbial capabilities and UPL will register and commercialize these products via its extensive global distribution network. More>>

Biological products grow 37% to BRL 1.7 billion in Brazil

The bio-inputs market grew to BRL1.7 billion (US$311,429 million) in the 2020-2021 season, the recently released BIP (Business Intelligence Panel) by Spark Smarter Decisions pointed out.

This means that biological pesticides and bio inoculants registered an impressive growth of 37% compared to the 2019-20 cycle when they totalled BRL 1.235 billion.

According to the survey by Spark, these two segments together accounted for 3% of total sales in the plant defense sector. The entire market reached a turnover of BRL53.83 billion, an increase of 16% as against BRL46.559 billion last season. More>>