Exosect®, a leading technology provider of environmentally conscious insect pest control, today announced that it has joined a Defra (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)consortium to create new bio pesticide solutions for stored grain pests. Defra's remit is the pursuit of sustainable development - weaving together economic, social and environmental concerns and has roles in both European Union and global policy making.
Exosect®, a leading technology provider of environmentally conscious insect pest control, today announced that it has joined a consortium of key research and industrial partners to further develop biological pest control systems for use against pests of stored grain products. The research partners are Central Science Laboratory (CSL) and CABI Bioscience. The industrial partners include Marks & Spencer, RHM, Smiths Flour Mills, BOCM Pauls, Igrox, Sylvan Somycel, Linnaeus and Home Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA).
The four-year LINK project led by CSL aims to overcome the remaining technical, regulatory and cultural barriers to the use of biopesticides for the control of storage pest insects. If successful, this technology will provide a viable replacement for organophosphorus pesticides. This project is sponsored by Defra through the Sustainable Arable LINK Programme and is part funded by HGCA. A major part of the project will involve ongoing consultation with the regulatory authorities (including Pesticides Safety Directorate) to ensure that the research work meets the required criteria for regulatory approval.
Exosect’s Managing Director, Martin Brown noted, "The timing could not be better as we are working with a number of other collaborators on biological techniques using Exosect’s patented powder as a more effective delivery system for insect pest control."
Exosect’s powder delivery technique, called Exolure Auto-Dissemination, is a targeted delivery system for lure and kill, using low doses of active ingredients, which can be chemical insecticides or natural biocides. Combined with Exosect’s powders, low dosages of active ingredient are disseminated throughout the insect pest population/colony/harbourage of the target insect pest. The benefits of Exolure are simplified application, reduced costs, improved efficacy and longevity of the biological agents, resulting in less active ingredient being applied to stored grain and in the environment.
Dr John Chambers, Research Team Leader at CSL remarked, "CSL and CABI Bioscience are delighted to be awarded a grant for this vital research project. With such a broad array of consortium members, both industrial and scientific, we are confident of taking a major step towards a market driven natural solution to grain pest control to replace conventional pesticides."
The continuing pressure for the reduction of chemical insecticide use has increased the interest in the use of biological methods for insect pest control. The model agent to be studied in this project occurs naturally in UK grain stores. Techniques will be developed to maximise its delivery to the pests, and its germination and penetration.
Brown explains, "As part of our on-going research we have been working on ways to enhance both the field life and spore germination efficiency of these fungal spores to increase their efficacy in pest control. We are very excited to be part of this government-sponsored consortium, working with leaders in their fields to create viable solutions to manage these pests in grain storage environments. In particular, we will be working with our partners to further develop our Exolure auto-dissemination technology.
About Exosect
Exosect Limited was formed in 2001 to develop and commercialise innovative and environmentally acceptable insect pest control technology. As a specialist research and development company, Exosect has developed a range of powder delivery systems based on the concept of attractants and active ingredients formulated with patented powder carrier systems. Specialising in IPM based, environmentally acceptable pest control products, markets include crop protection (agriculture and horticulture), stored products (raw and processed), amenity and public health.
Exosect's solutions have EPA regulatory approval in a number of US states and received organic verification from OMRI – the Organic Materials Review Institute. The company has also partnered with a number of major International agrochemical companies to further develop its product lines in the US. More on Exosect at: www.exosect.com
About CSL
CSL is the UK’s foremost public sector laboratory in the fields of agriculture, food and the environment. As an Executive Agency of Defra, its main role is to carry out research in support of Government objectives. Support for protection of the nation’s food and rural environment includes responding to emergencies in the food supply chain through risk assessment, analysis and remedial actions. It employs some 700 staff, and had a turnover of almost £43 million in 2004/05. More on CSL: www.csl.gov.uk
About CABI Bioscience
CABI Bioscience is a not-for-profit enterprise carrying out scientific research, capacity building and consultancy in the areas of sustainable agriculture, biodiversity conservation, environmental and industrial microbiology and the management of invasive alien species. It works with a range of stakeholders, including corporations, NGOs, institutes, governments, agricultural extension centres and farmers to solve the pressing issues of poverty, food security, and environmental change and conservation in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable way. Operating worldwide from centres in the UK, Kenya, Malaysia, Pakistan, Switzerland and Trinidad & Tobago, it maintains the UK National Fungal Cultures Collection and leading international scientific databases. www.cabi-bioscience.org
# Editor’s Notes #
Further information on Exosect – including interviews, demonstrations, users stories and customer site visits – is available from:
Lynsey Thorp / Fiona Brewer / Graham Thatcher Exosect Press Office at MCC International
Tel: +44 1962 888 100 / Fax: +44 1962 888125
