Biologicals Research Paves the Way for Grower Success

Certis Bios Research

New research in the biologicals field is leading to new and improved production practices. Photo: Certis Biologicals

This is an exciting time in the development of biological pest control options, says Jim Black, Business Director of Certis Biologicals. Greenhouse growers are looking for a wide array of crop protection products, including more biological agents. In turn, suppliers are developing new products and conducting extensive research.

Advertisement

Black describes Certis’ research as “grower-centric”. All suppliers are trialing their biological products to offer control options for diseases, aphids, mealybugs, and more. Rodrigo Bermudez, Director of the West and LATAM regions for Locus, says growers should look for products that have gone through third-party trials to verify their efficacy.

Greenhouse Grower reached out to a group of biologicals suppliers to hear about new research in the field.

Greenhouse Grower: What new research can you share in crop protection and biological products?

Top Articles
Dutch Lily Days Offers Meeting Place for Breeders and Growers

Groundwork BioAg (Dr. Yossi Kofman, Co-founder and CEO)

Microbials continue to prove themselves as an important engine of ecosystem function for greenhouses. The more we understand the symbioses between mycorrhizal fungi and Mycorrhiza Helper Bacteria (MHB), the more we can deliver specific benefits to indoor ag. Currently, Groundwork BioAg is collaborating on new research to validate the use of different microbial combinations to achieve even more powerful ecosystem-wide benefits. In addition, we are exploring the role of mycorrhizae in soil carbon sequestration, particularly how mycorrhizae contribute to carbon permanence by locking carbon within the soil. We believe the benefits of carbon sequestration will become accessible for both row crop and greenhouse operations.

AgBiome (Kelly Liberator, Director of Technical Service)

The products available to growers today are part of the next generation of biological products. Our philosophy has always been to develop products that perform just as well as synthetics and provide the same level of control, plant health, and crop quality that producers need. With advances in discovery and research, we’re now able to quickly and efficiently target microbes that have the highest potential to combat critical disease and pest targets.

We are also committed to developing products that fit applications across the industry, from greenhouse to field production, and tray drench to foliar sprays. Flexibility is a key driver for the industry and our business.

BioWorks (Michael Brownbridge, Biological Program Manager, Disease Control Management)

BioWorks shared information in a whitepaper on new research with BotryStop, a room-temperature stable formulation to aid in resistance management on botrytis.

“BotryStop is based on the fungus, Ulocladium oudemansii U3 strain. Ulocladium oudemansii is a naturally occurring saprophyte found in soils worldwide. Ulocladium spp. are typically associated with decaying plant matter, which provides a clue as to its unique mode of action.

Like Botrytis, it colonizes dead, damaged, and senescing plant tissues (it does not infect healthy plant tissue) and will aggressively out-compete the pathogen for physical space and nutritional resources at these sites, preventing the disease from establishing on the plant and building inoculum levels in the crop. The mode of action exhibited by Ulocladium oudemansii is technically known as antagonistic competition and unlike other biofungicides, it does not produce toxins which inhibit or kill pathogenic microbes (Kohl et al. 1997).”

Certis Biologicals (Jim Black, Business Director)

It is an exciting time in the development of biological pest control options. We are finding that greenhouse growers are greatly interested in how they can expand their pest control options and best integrate biologicals in pest control programs.

For Certis Biologicals, we are focused on how we can create reliable biological solutions and improve the efficacy of our portfolio in the greenhouse segment. Right now, we are completing our annual product development and technical trials review process, which highlights new product opportunities as well as how to best utilize existing tools in our portfolio. We believe that our investment in this effort is significant and ensures a bright future for growers who depend on biological products. There are several concepts we are exploring to improve pest control while boosting yield and improving plant health. Our research approach is best described as grower-centric and designed to give customers tools to incorporate into sustainable programs.

DPH Biologicals (Alex Cochran, Chief Technology Officer)

Research continues to support biofertilizers’ use to optimize fertilization in greenhouse production. Research into indoor tomato production in Mexico found growers reduced water consumption by 44% to 60%, decreased cost of unit production costs by 28%, and increased producer profits by 45% by reducing their use of pesticides and chemical nitrogen fertilizers via a multi-pronged approach focused on greenhouse automation, crop management, and the incorporation of a biofertilizer and biofungicide into their production practices.

Biofertilizers are also proving to be useful in offsetting the challenges of mineralization of natural fertilizers in organic greenhouse production, especially in longer greenhouse crops, like cucumber, tomato, and sweet peppers. The timely release of microbial biofertilizers unlocks better control of nutrient release supporting these high-demanding crops throughout their production cycle.

Beneficial Insectary (Cody Seals, U.S. Product Manager)

Researchers are beginning to dive deeper into biological-based plant protection and the roles those organisms can play in reducing our synthetic pesticide usage. Popular biopesticides such as Trichoderma asperellum, Beauveria bassiana, or Metarhizium anisopliae are being utilized to help control plant pests such as fungal diseases, aphids, and mealybugs. Further research is beginning to show that these biological pesticides provide more than just protection and may also play a part in producing better crops by interacting with the plants promoting growth and overall healthier plants.

Locus AG (Rodrigo Bermudez, Director of the West and LATAM regions)

Not all biologicals are created equal. To ensure growers are selecting the best product, they should confirm the biological product has verified data and/or third-party trials that demonstrate the biological product’s performance on their crop and/or region. One of the parameters we look at for greenhouses is a lower grower input budget or outlay for the same or more commercially accepted harvest increase.

At Locus AG, we have conducted a multitude of third-party trials conducted through respected contract research organizations (CROs) across the country on different crops. Data confirmed successful results in higher yields and ROI per acre.

It’s also important to note that not all biological strains perform the same. Growers should look for biological products that contain strains specifically chosen for their efficacy on specific crops or in specific growing regions.

0