The Buzz

on Biological Crop Protection

The Global Insight Series Reports are designed to give you the best possible experience on any device.

See the video below to learn how to navigate through stories.

The Buzz on Biological Crop Protection

By Heather Tunstall, Corporate Content Director, Brand Media & Engagement, Meister Media Worldwide 

Nature tends to know how to correct itself, and how to adapt to challenges. Take, for example, ecological succession, where plant and animal species recolonize an area after a major disturbance. Or nutrient recycling, the natural process that decomposers such as fungi use to break down organic matter, releasing nutrients back into the soil. Or even evolutionary adaptation, a long-form way for nature to adapt to changing conditions. However, to meet the food needs for an exponentially growing population, it’s necessary for us to mess with nature a bit. (OK, quite a bit.) To deliver quality crops at the scale and speed required to meet demands, we need high yields and safe, consumer-ready produce. When environmental conditions, insect pests, weeds, or disease threaten output, we must quickly and effectively intervene to ensure crops are protected.What’s the best way to do that? Well, there’s some debate there, but biological crop protection is certainly considered a frontrunner in the long game. Biological crop protection is gaining more and more steam thanks to its roots in nature. Using living organisms such as beneficial insects, fungi, bacteria or other microorganisms, biologicals mimics Mother Nature’s best defenses to protect plants while reducing negative impact on animals, people, and the environment.In this report, we’ll take a look at the ways in which the ag industry leverages the power of nature to protect plants in a more sustainable, targeted, and environmentally friendly way.

Specifically, you’ll learn about:  

How biocontrols are developed, from R&D through market release;
How to train your grower team on biocontrol, as advised through an experienced roundtable of ornamental growers;
How growers can effectively transition from chemical products to biocontrol;
The future of biopesticides in row crops (and the progress made thus far);
An introduction to the an open open-access tool, the CABI BioProtection Portal, which has been used in several countries and most recently launched in the U.S.; and
The broader adoption of California’s bio-sustainability programs, in which biologicals will play an important role.

Thanks to the digital nature of this interactive platform, you can read analysis and information provided by our expert contributors and also to hear directly from them through video insights. Not sure where to go from here? We’ve got you covered with a quick guide to help you navigate this digital report. Simply watch the brief "How to Use this Report" video at the beginning of this article. This report is our third of 2023. We also invite you to catch up on our previous Global Insight Series Reports on Climate Smart Farming; Water, Technology & Sustainability; Plant Health; and Soil Health. We appreciate your feedback on these reports and your suggestions on future topics you’d like to see covered. We look forward to hearing from you!