PESTICIDES: HOW THE PRESSURE ON CONVENTIONAL CHEMISTRY PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVES Written by Felicity Lenyk from Eden Research plc
The situation The Food and Agriculture Organisation (“FAO”) estimates that 40% of global food crops are lost to plant pests annually, equating to a yearly financial loss of over $220billion. This stark statistic highlights the importance of further research into new ways to tackle these pests if we are to feed the world’s growing population in the future. Agriculture has never lacked significant challenges, but continuous regulatory scrutiny is having a major impact on the conventional pesticides market around the world. Crop protection products and programmes are under constant review and increasing pressure from regulators and consumers is driving a global movement towards more sustainable alternatives. The loss of numerous crop protection products and chemistries has recently been publicised in the media. Sentiment around the removal of these products has been positive from a consumer standpoint and slightly more critical from a grower perspective as they have voiced concerns about the fact that the industry is left without viable alternatives. The current situation is that farmers are facing challenges from pests and disease, but with no approved chemical solutions.
This rapid loss of chemistry is driving increased innovation throughout the crop protection market. The biopesticide industry is developing rapidly, currently growing at a CAGR of 15% and estimated to be worth $10 billion by 2025. Biopesticides are derived from natural materials such as animals, plants, bacteria, and certain minerals and are generally considered reduced risk pesticides. However, despite the fact that they generally have a more favourable environmental profile, they are still subjected to a rigorous registration
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process as they must meet all regulatory standards and not compromise efficacy. Conventional pesticide product discovery and development takes 1012 years and costs in the region of $300million. The process is faster for biopesticides, but the costs can reach $25million.
So, where does Eden Research fit in? Eden Research plc is the UK’s only quoted company focused on biopesticides for sustainable agriculture. Eden develops and supplies innovative biopesticide products and natural microencapsulation technologies to the global crop protection market. The products are based upon natural plant chemistries but deliver performance on par with conventional chemistry and complement integrated pest management (IPM) programmes.
Terpene active ingredients Plant terpenes are secondary metabolites and are one of evolution’s answers to natural plant defence mechanisms. Eden has registered three terpene active ingredients in the EU - geraniol, eugenol and thymol. This is no mean feat in a decade where it was more commonplace to see approvals being withdrawn. As volatile compounds found in essential oils, terpenes have been utilised as a means of crop protection for centuries. Until recently however, due to their volatility and hydrophobicity, there was no practical means of applying them successfully at scale in agriculture/ horticulture. Stable formulations rely on a means of encapsulation, and due to the use of Eden’s patented SustaineTM technology, high capacity loading of terpenes with a phased release mechanism is now achievable. Terpenes are ubiquitous in the environment and are even found in many common foods. The terpene active ingredients in Eden’s formulations are Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) exempt and have no detectable residues, with pre-harvest intervals as low as 0-days for certain products. They have multi-
site modes of action against pests and therefore have no known risk of resistance, which is an increasing concern with many actives available on the market. Another key advantage of Eden’s formulated products is their lack of persistence in the environment which, combined with safety to beneficial insects, helps to protect the environment. A lack of accumulation of soil residues can help reduce the need for drilling, and products such as these works well with the development of field margins.
The innovative technology Sustaine is a naturally-sourced, microplastic-free encapsulation system that is suitable for a wide range of active ingredients, including conventional chemical and biological actives. SustaineTM is the enabling core of Eden’s products and provides a biodegradable solution to microencapsulation that has been commercially proven. Stable capsule suspension formulations are possible with high loadings of active ingredients in aqueous, solvent-free formulations with excellent bio-activity and the potential to increase efficacy, protect against phytotoxicity and mix readily with a range of chemistries. A key feature of these microcapsules is that the capsule wall is not eroded during the release process; the terpenes exit via pores, which open upon hydration and close again when the capsule experiences osmotic stress/ dehydration. In this way, the terpene active ingredients have a phased release pattern and prolong their activity across multiple rehydration/dehydration events. This controlled release can facilitate lower overall application rates of active ingredients as there is reduced www.directdriller.co.uk 91