Demand for biosolutions is rising and there are many factors propelling it, according to one of the sector’s leaders, Certis.
EU incentives for growers to adopt integrated pest management processes and alternatives to conventional chemical usage are some of the drivers of this growth, said Certis Europe’s Market Development Manager Kevin Price.
As is the fact that the range of conventional products will shrink as some come up for re–registration and legislators instead look for other, bio-products to replace them. And another important influence is consumer concern over residues in produce and environmental hazards.
“Our view is conventional pesticides will be further restricted and bio–products proven to work will help to fill the gap,” Price said. “It’s going to be an area which has not received as much attention in the past but likely to do so much more in the future.”
The compound annual growth rate of the bio market is assessed to have been about 16% in the last few years – at least twice that of the conventional chemical market. And estimates vary, but some commentators say that because of such reasons, 10% or even up to 25% of crop protection sales in Europe could be based on biocontrol products – such as biopesticides, pheromones, plant growth regulators and beneficial insects – in five years’ time, he said.
For example, Certis sees a growing market for beneficial insects used in pest control in both greenhouses and field crops. “The effectiveness of these approaches is actually much more than people expect.” Aphids, the red spider mite and white fly are among Insect pests which can now be controlled by use of beneficial insects.
Spain among the European growers most embracing biosolutions
Certis Europe mainly focuses on the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Italy and Spain. Price said Spanish producers in particular have been paying a lot of attention to the use of bio–alternatives for fresh produce, “because export markets are very important for them and supermarkets in Northern Europe a big destination for Spanish produce.”
“In some crops, like tomatoes, almost no insecticides are used at all. Not a lot of people would appreciate that,” he said.
After some residue problems with Spanish produce 6-7 years ago, there has been a focus on use of these bio solutions – particularly the use of beneficial insects – to controls pests and protect crops, he said.
Certis has worked with coops, particularly Unica, on the use of chemicals and bio together to ensure produce is free of residue at the end of the growing cycle.
Among its 2014 achievements, Certis gained inclusion of one of its products – a biological nematicide) – among just six selected in total to be added to a new ‘green list’ of products for accelerated approval in the Netherlands. It also has a range of products currently in development or undergoing registration, Price said.
For more information, visit www.certiseurope.com