Brazilian technology for the production of triple-action baculovirus-based bioinseticides

Abstract

Biological control with the use of baculovirus has been gaining more space and acceptance due to its effectiveness and direct competitiveness with other products and technologies for pest control. The factors that most contributed to growth were the professionalization of the sector, making it effective and competitive, the pressure from society for friendlier and more sustainable products, reducing the use of pesticides in food production and the emergence of species resistant to chemical products and biotechnological events, due to selection pressure due to the intensive use of these two tools. Therefore, in view of a highly favorable outlook for biological control, both in Brazil and in the world, this research project aims to develop the first national bio-defense product based on baculovirus with triple action for biological control of caterpillars Chrysodeixis includens (Walker), Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), the main pests of soybean, corn and cotton crops, as well as developing and automating baculovirus production processes. Given the above, the company CL Empreendimentos Biológicos, through the brand Life Biological Control®, residing and headquartered in Piracicaba (SP), is dedicated to the research and develop of ChinNPV, HaNPV and SfNPV baculovirus isolates that control C. includens, H. armigera and S. frugiperda, respectively. The strategy of producing Baculovirus-based triple action bio-defense products will be to expand the spectrum of action of the products developed by the company, thus increasing competitiveness in the pest control market and bringing a more complete solution to farmers. The process automation of baculovirus-based biopesticides formulation is essential to gain commercial scale, aiming to meet an extremely demanding market for biological products for pest control. The result of this research project should generate the first product based on a mixture of baculoviruses with triple action for biological control of caterpillars, as well as launching the three baculovirus-based products ChinNPV, HaNPV and SfNPV in isolation, implanting a production of 5 tons/year of formulated product based on baculovirus, establish the automation of formulation processes to increase the scale of production of baculovirus to 10 tons/year. The multi-action products resulting from this project will be a milestone in Brazilian innovation and technology, bringing to the agricultural market new biological products for integrated pest management, bringing more sustainability and productivity to agriculture. It is in this context that Life Biological Control® submits this request for funds in the PIPE FAPESP-SEBRAE Program. (AU)