Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research developed new biopesticide to combat ‘castor semilooper’

The Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research (IIOR) had isolated bacteria named Bacillus thuringenisis var. kurstaki from a castor field in Kothakota in Mahbubnagar.
 

Using this, the IIOR developed a bio-pesticide to kill the pest called ‘castor semilooper’. This biopesticide has been bought by private companies who have developed products from it and market them.
 

Under the access benefit sharing clause of the Convention on Biological Diversity, these companies will have to share a part of their profits with the residents of Kothakota.
 

The clause stipulates that companies which use local bio-resources should give 0.1, 0.2 or 0.5 per cent of money depending on their sales — Rs 1crore, Rs 1crore to Rs 3 crore or above Rs 3 crore respectively — to the place from where they collect the bioresource.
 

The companies pay the state biodiversity board which keeps 5 per cent of the sum and gives the rest to the biodiversity management committee of the village. Mr G. Sailu from the Telangana State Biodiversity Board and state coordinator of ABS, said, “Seven companies which developed products from biopesticide technology bought from IIOR have entered into ABS agreements with us. We expect revenue of around Rs 5 lakh from each of these companies — 95 per cent of which will be given to Kothakota BMC.”
 

He said the companies were awaiting registration of their products with the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee.
 

“Once that is done and they start selling their products, they will start paying the village its share,” he added.
 

The IIOR was given the UNDP award this year for “successful mechanisms/ models for access and benefit sharing”. Kothakota is not the only village in the state to benefit from its resources. Nineteen companies have signed access benefit sharing deals with the State Biodiversity Board since 2014.