BIOCONTROL

BIOCONTROL REGULATORY SERVICES

For the last decades, there has been a growing need for more sustainable use of our environmental resources. This, together with an ever-increasing global population, has prompted the development of environmentally friendly but yet efficient control agents to complement the use of large amounts of conventional plant protection products. 

Biocontrol agents, also known as biopesticides, biologicals, biological pesticides, natural pesticides or biochemical pesticides, can be either based on ‘microbials’ such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and viroids or on macroorganisms ('macrobials'). Besides, biochemically active extracts from microorganisms and plants ('botanicals') and pheromones or other semiochemicals are included in the category of biopesticides. Other natural products such as hormones, minerals, enzymes, peptides and nucleic acids can also act as active substance in plant protection products. Depending on the national context of the legislative framework, these active substances can be directly marketed as biopesticides or conventional pesticides. Biocontrol further includes the use of these substances in biostimulants and biocides where possible in these contexts.