France provides fertile ground for biocontrol innovation

At France’s 2024 plant cultivation show Sival, growers, researchers, breeders, and other stakeholders from the country’s agricultural and horticultural industry gathered for the 10th annual meeting of biocontrol professionals. France’s minister of agriculture, Marc Fesneau, participated in the debate. Fourteen speakers looked back with pride on what has been achieved since the definition of biocontrol was embedded in French law. They also looked forward as the EU’s lengthy authorisation process hampers future biocontrol growth.

The event was hosted by Alliance Biocontrôle — previously known as IBMA France — to celebrate ten years since France became the first EU country to embed a definition of biocontrol in its agricultural bill.

Speaking of definitions, Alliance Biocontrôle describes biocontrols as follows: “Agents and products using natural mechanisms within the framework of the fight against the enemies of crops. They include, in particular, the macro-organisms and pharmaceutical crop treatment products including microorganisms, chemical mediators such as pheromones, kairomones and natural substances with plant, animal or mineral origins.”

Towards a preventative instead of a curative approach

Following initial comments by Denis Longevialle, managing director of Alliance Biocontrôle, 14 speakers highlighted the perks and challenges of biocontrol technologies, their position in the French and global market, and how biocontrol will change the way we protect our agricultural products, our planet and its people.

Jean Francois Faveau, a gardener and botanist working for the Montpellier Botanical Garden, notes that there’s been a growing awareness of biodiversity over the past ten years. He says, “At the same time, we began questioning the efficacy of chemical crop protection products and their mode of action.”

Regarding biocontrol, Faveau stresses that his employer, the Jardin des Plantes de Montpellier, has been using Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) as a biological weapon against boxwood pests for many years. He adds, “The path is towards a preventative instead of a curative approach. Much depends on the local climate you are working in and the specific technicalities of the product.”

Faveau explains that Montpellier’s botanical garden is open to the public and focuses on informing that public. Its license to operate concerns the garden’s values and purpose, being seen as legitimate by civil society, and its capability to manage plant health risks in the most sustainable way.

France’s minister of agriculture Marc Fesneau and Céline Barthet.

Biocontrol Is Key

Pascal Borioli directs tree fruit grower’s alliance GRCETA in France’s southern Basse Durance area. GRCETA de Basse Durance pursues research and teaching to advance knowledge, inspire innovation and build a regional tree fruit community.

Borioli defends the interests of today’s third-generation tree fruit growers and explains that using chemical pesticides among the 230 member growers has become a less common practice. “The use of chemical pesticides significantly decreased over the past three decades with between 4-5 acaracide applications and 6-8 insecticide treatments ten years ago to 1 and 4-5 respectively,” he says.

Ultimately, biocontrol aims to attack a wide range of pests in orchards and counteract societal pressure.

“Today, biocontrol technologies play a key role. GRCETA’s in-house trials found that we can dramatically decrease the IFT (Index Treatment Frequency) in IPM tree fruit production by up to 20-30 per cent, with percentages nearing 80 per cent in biological tree fruit farming.

However, in biocontrol, there can also be a tipping point at which your bio strategy is disrupted by using less environmentally friendly products to avoid further impacting product quality,” explains Borioli.

Patience and observation

Charles Vinet is a vegetable grower who runs the vegetable greenhouse business, Serres de l’Aujouer, in the Vendée region. Since 2019, he has been president of the Coop Approvisionnement Maraichers Nantais (CAMN), a cooperative of vegetable growers in greater Nantes.

He says that biocontrol has always been part of the plant protection toolbox since he founded his company in Commequiers in 2020. He stresses that using biocontrol requires patience and the ability to observe. “You must be constantly aware of new pests. Approximately ten years ago, the tomato leaf miner moth Tuta absoluta first appeared in our region. At the time, we did not know anything about it. We opted for a preventive approach involving a lot of scouting and insect netting. Five years later, we can say that it is more or less under biocontrol.”

There is a range of biocontrols available to combat the dreaded leaf miner, such as Nesidiocoris tenuis, Macrolophus caliginosus, Trichogramma pretosium, Trichogramma sp, Pseudoapanteles dignus, Dineulophus phthorimaeae, Cornua sp., and Podisus nigrispinus.

Denis Longevialle, managing director of Alliance Biocontrôle.

Agro-ecology

Within the EU bloc, France is one of the frontrunners regarding pesticide-free agriculture. The 2008 Ecophyto plan forms the backbone of the nation’s agricultural shift towards agro-ecology, which is sustainable farming that works with nature.

Since 1 January 2017, France’s Labbé law has forbidden the use of phytosanitary products in spaces open to the public, such as parks, gardens, walks, and infrastructure (with a few exceptions).

On 1 July 2022, the French government announced an extension of the Labbé Law, which prohibits use in even more private or public spaces. These latest new restrictions apply to private properties used as residences, hotels, campsites, leisure parks, daycare centres, elderly homes, family gardens, shopping malls, and cemeteries.

The Labbé law created momentum for the use of alternative maintenance methods for urban green spaces.

On the other side of the spectrum, most farmers and horticulturists agree that growing their plants and flowers more sustainably is something to strive for. But the paradox is that the massive farmer protests that engulfed large parts of France this winter also indicate that ‘this much is too much’.

Farmers and growers find the switch to alternative crop protection methods complex and complain that insufficient incentives exist to support biological crop control. They also feel that climate policies and environmental rules risk agricultural and horticultural livelihoods.

Phytology

Pondering over the support of biocontrol and how product design and use evolved over the past decade, botanical gardener Faveau says, “We gained a better understanding of the mechanisms used by pests and their interaction with natural predators. Overall, there’s more phytology.

This study of plants and their relationship to the environment allows us to develop dual crop protection strategies. More insights into how weather patterns impact the use of biocontrol are needed. We learned how important it is to warn colleague gardeners promptly, as new pests are always on the horizon. We realise that being a botanical garden puts us in a more advantageous position than a commercial greenhouse company, where the economic pressure is much bigger and time more scarce.”

Not all is rosy

The concept of biocontrol was recognised in France in 2014 through the loi d’avenir pour l’agriculture (law of the future for agriculture), which modified the Code Rural et de la Pêche Maritime (rural and maritime fishing code).

Looking back at 50 years of biocontrol development in French tree fruit production, Borioli recalls how, in the 1970s, the use of pyrethroids to combat Psylla and Cydia pomonella caused auxiliary insects to die and Psylla to spiral out of control. The mid-1980s marked the first trials with insect growth regulator fenoxycarb, leading to improved Psylla control. At the turn of the Millennium, growers began using pheromones to disrupt the mating of Cydia pomonella. Also, kaolin clay sprays (Surround WP, Argical) to repel pest insects and protect trees from sunburn, and high temperatures made their entry. The clay sprays helped keeping Psylla numbers down, leading to an expansion of biological fruit tree farming.

Borioli says, “On the one hand, biostimulants flooded the marketplace, and their mode of action was not always clear enough. On the other hand, more precise working biocontrols developed very positively. Thankfully, our association collaborates with leading researchers, allowing us to acquire more in-depth knowledge. Today, virtually all our trials involve using biocontrols because otherwise, also because otherwise you would miss out on state or regional funding. Regarding efficacy, biocontrols’ biggest success has been achieved in the fight against insects and mites. Less progress is made in the biocontrols battle against fungi and bacteria.”

Not all is rosy in biocontrol, warns Borioli. “Generally speaking, its success also depends on a company’s size. Small to medium-sized family businesses capable of daily scouting their crops will report more success. For large-scale enterprises, the costs and yields weigh in more pronouncedly. One good example is the market for pears, which has been under pressure for the past three years. Up to 45 per cent of pear growers were using biocontrol technologies. Then prices dropped by 30 per cent, leading to 25 fewer growers adopting biocontrol methods.”

Meanwhile, grower Vinet underlines that biocontrol’s success is not equal across the board. While he grows all of his cherry tomatoes pesticide-free, constantly exploding populations of mites in his eggplants eventually forced him to uproot this crop as he could not grow them chemical-free.

Lack of education and funds

Vinet estimates that turnover-wise, 45 per cent of the vegetable growers in the CAMN growers’ cooperative use biocontrol, a figure that has barely grown over the past four to five years.

All three speakers cited the lack of educated staff and the lack of funds to finance biocontrol formation as key reasons.

Grower Vinet did not sit and wait. He decided to train his staff in-house. One hour per month, the company takes its workers to the bays they work in to learn how to identify pests and diseases correctly.

The audience asked Borioli about the role of varietal selection in combination with biocontrol. He argued that it is one of the best ways to proceed.

His sole disclaimer, however, concerns the arrival of new pests and diseases. He says, “You can undertake ten years of selection and breeding work and eventually introduce a variety resistant to a specific disease. An upcoming new pest may have undermined all your hard work the day after.”

EU regulatory framework

Halfway through the conference, France’s minister of agriculture, Marc Fesneau and Céline Barthet, chairman of Alliance Biocontrôle, entered the room to participate in a panel discussion on the regulatory framework of biocontrol tech.

In a European context, definitions differ from one member state to another, and it is not always clear who is responsible for what. Therefore, Barthet stresses that the EU approves the active ingredients of biocontrol technologies. In turn, the product formula and products are approved by EU members.

In the EU, France remains the only country with a biocontrol definition embedded in the agricultural bill. Minister Fesneau called for a legal framework at the European level, more research, innovation, plus education. His Ministry launched the PARSADA (Plan d’action stratégique du potentiel retrait européen des substances actives pour la protection des cultures) plan in the spring of 2023, a strategic plan to prepare the country’s agricultural sector for further withdrawal of active ingredients and boost the development of alternatives crop protection methods.

Massimo Toni of international bio intelligence company DunhamTrimmer painted the global biocontrol market landscape.

Did biocontrol turn the agricultural world upside down?

French farmers and their peers worldwide are under pressure. Their business model is challenged by an increasingly critical consumer, rising input costs and regulators whose actions cause their pesticide cabinets to empty rapidly.

Biocontrol technologies are often presented as promising solutions. However, they also have a questionable reputation as snake oil, with suppliers making promises that seem too good to be true.

In France, Terrena is a supplier of biocontrol products, and Lancelot Leroy, the company’s director of innovation, urged the audience to consider things from the proper perspective. He notes, “If biocontrol put the world upside down? Yes and no. No, because in specific cases, we continue to work with products such as sulphur, a tried and tested product, for decades. But then, we also sell, for example, Trichogramma to combat the European corn borer. This living macroorganism needs to be stored in a temperature-controlled environment. Its application requires a completely different mindset from the farmers.”

Leroy also addressed the high economic risks associated with biocontrol. He says, “Imagine you are a young farmer, and you just started your large-scale business for which you are in a lot of debt. Every misstep in crop management can have huge consequences. Therefore, the guidance and crop support of our customers are fundamental. Together, we make a risk assessment and provide solutions to reduce them. Terrena is, as such, no longer selling a product but a result.”

A global overview

Joelle Sfeir is head of product development at UPL France, a global provider of sustainable agriculture products and solutions. She reviews Alliance Biocontrôle’s actions, including education, creating a political, regulatory framework, and R&D. She says that biocontrol is used on 11 per cent of agricultural land in France (gardens and urban green spaces included).

Providing an overview of the global market was Massimo Toni (Dunham Timmer LLC), who says that the worldwide biocontrol market – comprising biocontrols, biostimulants and bio fertilisers – was worth €10bn in 2023 and is expected to increase to €25bn in 2032.
In terms of volume, the USA and Canada represent a value of €2,097mn, the EU €1,542mn, Latin America €1,231mn, and Asia/Pacific €1,182mn.

The omnipresence of microbes in the Latin American and USA/Canada markets is interesting. The EU lags behind due to a time-consuming authorisation process, while the USA’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is much swifter.

Toni says that, provided you have a well-documented dossier in the USA, approval can be given within 18 months. However, the biggest challenge in the USA market comes next, as winning the attention of the giant distributing companies frequently dealing with thousands of different products is not easy.

Toni believes that to be successful in the American market, a biocontrol solution must have been trialled locally, ideally in collaboration with universities and research stations, which are usually very open to testing biocontrol technologies.

Brazil’s case is a particular one. The Brussels-based International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association (IBMA) touts the country as a biocontrol powerhouse. It says, that in the last two years, around an additional 100 biological products have been registered for use, and this number continues to grow. Biocontrol is used on 46 million acres, about 60 per cent of Brazilian agricultural land.

It is in the farmers’ toolbox because Brazilian authorities responded to farmer’s demand for biocontrol by prioritising it during the authorisation process. When a biocontrol product is registered for authorisation, it is fast-tracked to the front of the queue, assessed, and approved (where appropriate) in two years, compared to the almost decade-long wait European farmers often face. In Brazil, bio insecticides and microorganisms represent 50 per cent of the biocontrol market.

Systemic vision is needed

Tatiana Svinartchuk is the programme leader of viticulture at Moët (champagne) Hennessy (cognac), part of the multinational LVHM Group, which also comprises the luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton.

The company has wholly owned vineyards in nine countries on five continents. She oversees a programme to control the company’s production and ensure access to top-quality grapes. She says, “We would like to see ourselves as a producer, a visionary entrepreneur, and a company that demonstrates proven solutions.”

Moët Hennessy is a member of the newly founded (2023) Association Biocontrôle et Biostimulation pour l’Agroécologie (ABBA), which aims to promote agroecology at the national level involving all stakeholders from within the agricultural sector.
Svinartchuk is delighted to be part of ABBA because of its systemic vision, an approach to better understanding the power dynamics governing processes, organisations, phenomena, and other complex interactions.

According to the systemic vision principles, the whole must be considered when analysing the consequences of individual actions of its composing parts. She says, “Ultimately, R&D should not result in simply replacing one product for another. The focus must not be on the local or specific but on a broad overview. Today, learning how to work with and apply biocontrol is crucial. What we like about ABBA is that it puts the producer in the driving seat.”

Christian Lannou, director of research at France’s prestigious INRAE institute, advocates a holistic approach to research on biological crop control, which accounts for one-third of INRAE’s research projects.

But bringing all stakeholders together, he says, is not easy. So, he is happy with the PARSADA and ABBA initiatives to speed up the research and innovation process in a broad context. He elaborates, “You may call their ambitions crazy, but they are necessary. Take the sterile insect technique involving the mass-rearing and sterilising a target pest. The technique already exists, but research has been halted because of the lack of a broader view.”

More widely accepted

Fabrice Lemarchand is the founder of biocontrol supplier Vivagro. In reviewing the 17 years since his company was established, he is still as enthusiastic as in the early years.

He notes, “Sure, some conservatism persists, but our biocontrol technologies are also more widely accepted thanks to the extensive trials they have undergone. The doubt will quickly disappear once you can prove the product’s efficacy to your customer. I believe digitalisation, AI, and more in-depth knowledge about plant-soil interactions concerning biocontrol are needed to take it to the next level.”

Lemarchand concluded by praising the many biocontrol companies established in France. “Some of them have gone; others have become household names. Investing in biocontrol requires deep pockets and much patience, as authorisation processes and time to market are extremely long. So, we should be grateful for the fertile ground our country has provided for innovation.”


This article was first published in the September 2024 issue of FloraCulture Interntional. 

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