Cher, soap operas and how to embrace the biological revolution

By Dr Julian Little, AlphaBio Control, Director of Communications

‘Gypsies Tramps and Thieves’, by Cher mentions the selling of “a couple bottles of Doctor Good” to solve any medical issue as a way of the travellers in the story making a little extra cash. The idea of ‘I’ve got something to sort out your problem’ remains in agriculture, especially in the area of biological pesticides and biostimulants, and has unfortunately resulted in modern, progressive farmers taking something of a dim view of all bio-pesticides.

However, the tide is turning with several companies taking their R&D activities seriously, delivering high quality solutions to problems in the field and glasshouse. The European Biostimulants Industry Council (EBIC) is an example of a trade association committed to promoting well researched products and marginalising ‘snake oil’ salespeople. Unlike such salespeople, AlphaBio Control is an example of a serious R&D bio-control company, with full knowledge and traceability of the food grade material used to produce carefully researched bio-insecticides such as FLiPPER®, bio-herbicides such as MiSSiTO® and bio-fungicides to the market.

The use of fatty acids to control insects is not new. Soap solutions have often been widely used in garden care situations for many years. Many users sing their praises but I have never been convinced that these do a lot more than wash the insect from the leaf surface. Once it has dried off, it merely returns to resume munching. But the idea of zooming in on which fatty acids do influence certain crop damaging pests is a more recent innovation. In the case of FLiPPER®, only five fatty acids, naturally sourced from olive oil, make up nearly 99% of the active substances, removing contaminants, and any traces of snake oil, Dr Good or soft soap.

Are bio-pesticides the same as conventional products? No, and that is the point. You must follow the guidelines on application carefully if you are to get the most from what they offer. Do you get the levels of control that you get with a conventional insecticide? Not always. But if efforts to develop integrated pest management (IPM) approaches have taught us anything, it is the need to move away from “total control”, to ensuring that pests are kept below levels considered damaging. Indeed, unless insect levels are above that threshold, the advice is invariably not to spray at all.

Choosing the right product from a reputable company is critically important, and using it correctly means that you have the pest control you need without needing to worry about residues, MRLs or the environment in which they are being used. Given the pressure by governments, processors and retailers alike on growers for a better approach to pest, weed and disease control, we believe that should make the right bio-pesticide a critical part of growing any crop. First best, not second best.