The adoption of biological crop protection is being delayed by a regulatory environment that has failed to keep abreast of innovations that would make these products easier and more effective to use. This is according to a new report, ‘Precision spraying and biologicals – driving collaboration’, launched at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit USA (19-20th March 2024).
The report, produced by Agri-TechE in collaboration with Cambridge Consultants, part of Capgemini Invent, draws on the input from agronomists, agrichemical providers, formulators and equipment and machinery developers.
It reveals that there is significant market pull for biologicals from consumers and retailers keen to reduce the chemical residues left in food products and the environment. There is also a market push from the regulators, looking to reduce the usage of synthetic chemicals.
The report outlines the obstacles to adoption that could be overcome by existing agri-tech, accelerating the uptake of these products.
Co-author Dr Belinda Clarke is Director of Agri-TechE, a multi-disciplinary membership organisation that is facilitating the growth of a global innovation ecosystem in agri-tech.
She comments: “A desire for more sustainable practices in agriculture is driving interest in biological crop protection products, but the perception is that they are more costly to purchase, time-consuming to apply and less effective than the synthetic equivalents.
“Many of these reservations could be resolved by recent innovations in precision agriculture that more easily enable ‘per row’ and ‘per plant’ application cost-effectively within stringent spraying conditions,” she continues. “The industry urgently requires a more collaborative approach between formulators, equipment developers and regulators to fast-track these innovations.”