The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) members consist of thousands of growers of flowers and ornamental plants around the world who are together united by one essential goal – promoting the place of plants in people’s lives.
AIPH hosts several conferences, webinars and events such as the International Grower of the Year award throughout the year. Read about these along with the latest news about the association’s activities.
AIPH’s key aim is to stimulate demand for ornamental trees, plants and flowers worldwide. We are committed to supporting growers in achieving this by protecting and promoting the interests of the industry.
Education and training on how to use biosolutions, as well as transparent communication on product efficacy, are crucial.
Amid mounting pressure within the ornamentals sector to curtail and eliminate conventional synthetic plant protection products, FCI sat down with Matthieu Noel, marketing director of EMEA at Lallemand’s Plant Care business unit, a developer and manufacturer of biocontrol solutions for plant growers. He sheds light on the vast potential of biocontrol products, their cost, brand image, handling and storage while also presenting the latest in biofungicides and biopesticides.
Lallemand Inc. is a privately owned company run by third-generation Antoine Chagnon. It researches, develops, produces, and markets yeasts, bacteria, and other microorganisms with the aim of reproducing, managing, and optimising natural fermentation processes in the agri-food industries.
The company is organised into 12 technically driven business units focusing on various yeast, bacteria and fungi applications in baking, fermented beverages, human and animal nutrition, fuel ethanol and agricultural and pharmaceutical uses.
A major player in fermentation for over a century, Lallemand has more than 50 production plants worldwide, with 5,000 employees spread across more than 12 business units.
The history behind its name is fascinating: immigrant Fred Schurer, Alsatian by birth, founded the company at the end of the 19th century, selling raw materials to the bakery industry in Montréal. His German-sounding family name earned him the nickname ‘l’Allemand’ or ‘the German’ among the local population. He quickly embraced this moniker, sharing it with his newly founded company and even changing his last name to Lallemand.
Roland Chagnon acquired the Lallemand business in 1952, and from that moment on, the Chagnons have maintained ownership.
Lallemand Quick Facts The Lallemand Plant Care business unit was founded in 2006 with the progressive acquisition of ITHEC (France), which focused on mycorrhizae and PGPR (Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria). 2008, Verdera Oy (Finland) was added to its business, allowing it to expand into forestry, horticulture, and turf.
What followed next was a series of acquisitions:
IP rights and associated assets of an undisclosed PGPR strain (2014).
Laboratorio Farroupilha (Brazil) to increase its market presence in Brazil (2015).
Bioforest (Canada) to develop the forestry business (2015).
Lage y Cia (Uruguay) to expand the production capacity and nitrogen fixing-inoculant portfolio (2016).
Calister (Uruguay) to grow the production capacity and expand our market share in South America (2017)
Biomin fermentation plant in Brazil (2018).
RISEHoP (Canada), a key player in producing mycorrhizae (2019)
MET52 from Novozymes and Contans® (Bayer) and acquisition of the manufacturing plant of Wismar (Germany) (2021).
New Edge Microbial (Australia) (2023)
Mighty microorganisms
One of Lallemand’s newest business units is Plant Care, a natural plant protection business established in the mid-2000s.
The unit’s marketing director, EMEA Matthieu Noel, recalls, “Lallemand has made a name in developing the right strains for human health and evolving into the plant domain came very naturally. By their very nature, plants are colonised by billions of microorganisms. Some have beneficial effects on their host plant through direct and indirect mechanisms. This was the birth of the Lallemand Plant Care business unit, which has since continued to grow thanks to the acquisition of companies specialising in plant bioprotection and biofertilisation.”
Noel likes to compare a plant with an ecosystem in which microorganisms play a key role.
“These are found both in the rhizosphere – the area close to the roots – and in the phyllosphere – parts above ground level. Some even colonise the plant’s inside. Although invisible to the naked eye, microorganisms have always been partners of plants, and some possess agronomic properties that allow their hosts to develop better. Current technologies allow us to study these mechanisms, select microorganisms of agronomic interest, analyse them, produce them, and formulate them to inoculate crops.”
Ultimately, Lallemand aims to reproduce natural symbioses for efficient and sustainable agriculture and horticulture. Noel elaborates, “Inoculating a crop means recreating a natural mechanism that would have developed over a very long time, a time we do not have in agriculture. Accompanying seedlings or plants with microbial partners selected for their properties is relevant, effective, and environmentally friendly as they improve plant productivity and vitality without releasing unwanted pesticide residue.”
Lallemand Plant Care classifies its product range into three categories: biocontrol, biostimulation, and biofertilisation. In biocontrol, plant protection products reproduce natural mechanisms. To prevent or control plant diseases and pests, beneficial microorganisms, bacteria, or fungi are used as their natural competitors.
Asked about Lallemand’s brand recognition, Noel says, “It varies from country to country depending on how close we are with the farmer. From a geographical perspective, the distribution channels are also different: multinational wholesalers, local cooperatives, and retailers, but they are also direct to growers in countries such as Brazil. In the horticultural heartland of the Netherlands, our distribution partners include Royal Brinkman, Van Iperen, Mertens, Benfried and longtime business partners such as Ecostyle and Bayer. Bioinsecticide Lalguard and biofungicide Lalstop and Prestop have taken on a presence among ornamentals growers.”
Growth potential
Noel anticipates further growth in EMEA markets. Momentum is building for biological products such as Lalstop and Lalguard as EU legislation adopting an increasing hazard, rather than a risk-based approach to the use of crop protection products in Europe could mean chemicals that play a key role in crop protection are withdrawn from use. “Increasing consumer demand to have less pesticide residues in the final product is also at stake,” says Noel.
He adds: “The combination of biocontrol involving root inoculants and foliar biostimulants delivers the best results regarding yield and quality. Within Lallemand Plant Care, the anticipated growth is 30 per cent for biocontrols and 20-25 per cent for biostimulants.”
Lallemand has made a name in developing the right strains for human health, and evolving into the plant domain came naturally.
Golden tips for biocontrol success
It is safe to say that growers increasingly have come to embrace the role of biocontrol in improving yields and crop quality while also providing the critical sustainability benefits of improved soil health, nutrient utilisation, greater safety for workers, consumers and the environment and reduced likelihood of developing resistant pathogens. What are Noel’s golden tips for successfully applying Lallemand’s products?
He says, “Living microbes, inactivated microbes, derivatives: it really depends on the type of microorganisms concerned. Clonostachys rosea, for example, is a living fungus aimed at establishing an active population on foliage and berries. Its application should be preventative, before the pathogen spreads, which is essential regarding the kinetics of contamination.”
Overall, it is important to remember that biocontrol is not the holy grail: biocontrol technologies perform well-provided pathogen levels are low to moderate, and their impact is less significant when disease pressures have already spiralled out of control. Yet, the truth is that the picture is not very different in chemicals.
Noel sees that support for biocontrol is highest among innovative ornamental growers looking for residue-free production and efficacy against pests and diseases. These include young plants, bedding, and houseplant growers. “They are ready to adopt new biocontrol solutions, look for efficacy and environmental benefits but ask for technical advice on successfully integrating biosolutions with conventional products.”
Lallemand Trails.
Phytium and Phytophthora
Plant pests and diseases cause economic losses of an estimated USD 220 billion annually, according to the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). In ornamental horticulture, dreaded diseases include Phytophthora and Pythium (root rot). Noel says, “Lalstop K61WP works against Pythium and Fusarium. Lalstop G46 WG was registered in May 2023 for Phytophthora, Pythium, Rhizoctonia, and Fusarium. Using Lalstop G46 WG for aerial diseases leads to improved Botrytis control.”
Noel candidly admits that some scepticism in the market will always remain. He, therefore, advocates education and training on how to use solutions and transparent communication on product efficacy: “Also, biocontrol products must be fully compatible with IPM programmes while proper application rates and timings are crucial to increase product efficacy.”
Transparency
Speaking of transparency, how does Lallemand cater for independent research? “Transparency regarding genus, species, strains, concentrations in total. It is necessary to understand fully what type of product we are dealing with. Researchers equally tell us how important standards and agronomy testing are. To trial our products and identify new collections of strains, we have partnered with universities and research institutes.”
At the same time, a significant number of snake oils continue to damage the natural plant protection market. “These products do not last long if they can’t prove their efficacy. Providing transparency, solid scientific data and good education is the way forward. This is why we continue to expand our business 18 years since our inception.”
Asked whether biocontrol is more expensive and complex to use compared to conventional synthetic products, Noel notes, “Biocontrol might be perceived as more expensive. The truth is that they require higher investment costs. We always suggest considering the long-term benefits of reduced resistance and less crop residues while constantly optimising our production process to offer solutions with a good ROI for our customers.”
Matthieu Noel.
Who is Matthieu Noel? Forty-six-year-old Matthieu Noel joined Lallemand and its Plant Care business unit in 2016 after 20 years of experience in agricultural distribution.
He graduated from the Toulouse Purpan School of Agriculture in France and completed his final year internship in 2002 within Lallemand’s animal nutrition division. More than 20 years later, he is back in the division specialising in plant nutrition and health.
Noel is Lallemand’s marketing director for the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, and Africa). His work includes strategic marketing: market research, customer segmentation strategy, commercial policy, definition of operational action plans, and budget management, plus operational marketing. The latter involves the implementation of the action plan through various activities: events, trade shows, technical documentation, social media management, direct marketing campaigns, service offerings, and team training, among other things.
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