Biocontrols. Biopesticides. Biologicals. These words are often used interchangeably and mean similar, but different things. In this “Tip of the Iceberg” podcast episode, Pam Marrone, co-founder and executive chairperson of the Invasive Species Corporation, takes a look at the rapidly changing biological industry.
Marrone, whose career in the biologicals and fresh produce industry spans several companies, said biocontrols can mean something such as predatory mites — controlling one bug with another — or biopesticides, products with microorganisms or microbials. While it might be easy to assume biological products are used solely by organic growers, that’s not the case, Marrone said.
“Seventy percent of all biologicals and biocontrols are used by conventional farmers,” she said. “Most biocontrols or biopesticides are listed as organic, but there are some natural materials that are not registered as biologicals or biopesticides but are organic.”
She said an example is spinosads or pyrethrums.
“They’re natural materials because they have a toxic mode of action,” Marrone said. “Not all organics organic materials and organic pesticides are biological pesticides and registered as biologicals; some are registered as chemicals.”
Benefits to using biological products, especially in produce, include lower minimal risk levels, maximum residue levels, and preharvest and reentry intervals, so growers could spray a biological product close to harvest and still harvest and export the crop.
“You don’t harm beneficials. You can have better biodiversity in the field, improve soil health but at the same time actually increase yield and quality,” Marrone said. “Typically, when biologicals are incorporated into programs you see better quality and then pest management than with chemical only programs because of that synergy of the modes of action.”
Marrone said the biological and biocontrol categories continue to grow. While biological products might make up only 10% of inputs currently, that number will rise, she said.
“The predictions are, by 2040, the biological market and size will be equal to chemicals,” Marrone said. “Chemicals are only growing at 5% a year and biologicals are growing 10% to 20%, so they’re going to cross over at some point.”
Growers interested in adding biologicals need to work with their vendors to understand how to clearly handle the product and set realistic expectations of how the products work, as there is a bit of a difference in terms of application and modes of action.
For growers who are hesitant to use biologicals or had a bad experience using them in the past, Marrone said it’s worth giving them a try.
“If you used a biological five years ago, you got to try it again,” she said. “The technology is changing so fast. We have new tools to improve the products now. That’s the thing with biologicals, you can keep improving them and it’s worth looking at them again. If you’ve tried them and it didn’t work some years ago, it’s worth trying them again.”
