Increased investment in innovation is helping farmers tackle the threat from crop pests and satisfying the societal expectations for pesticide products that are safe for humans and the environment.
FREMONT, CA: The crop protection industry spends a significant amount of money developing every single cutting-edge product for farmers. Although every pesticide product on the market is registered by government authorities to meet safety standards, the crop protection industry looks to improve the efficacy and safety of products. Only through investment in innovation can they help farmers deal with the ever-increasing threat from crop pests while also satisfying exciting societal expectations for pesticide products that are safe for human health and the environment. Various innovations in crop technology are changing the face of the crop protection industry.
Biologicals: Biologicals are an increasing class of crop protection products that make use of living organisms such as microbes found in nature. Microbes are tiny microorganisms like viruses, bacteria, or fungi, some of which can have pesticide-like qualities that are helpful for farmers.
RNAi: RNAi is a natural biological process that helps to turn down the expression of a few genes such as the purple or white colour in petunia flowers. RNAi has many potential applications, especially in the medical field to fight disease and also for the crop protection industry to prevent pests and diseases from destroying crops.
Computer Chemistry: Computer chemistry employs computers to process hundreds of thousands of chemical structures that can make up a crop protection product with pinpoint accuracy. Chemists set the parameters for the computers to work with to guarantee pesticides are safer and more effective than ever before.
Formulations: The formulation of a crop protection product gets added to the active ingredient to improve its effectiveness and safety. Plant scientists are currently working on microencapsulation, a type of formulation that can trigger an active ingredient into action in particular ways, for example, by temperature or by exposure to sunlight.
Inoculants: Inoculants are derived from naturally occurring bacteria called rhizobia found in the soil. After attaching themselves to the root hairs of legume crops, they convert atmospheric nitrogen for use by the host plant. Nitrogen is necessary for plants, as it helps them grow bigger and stronger to withstand pest pressures.
Seed Treatments: Seed treatments are coatings for seeds that can be applied before planting to protect them from pests and diseases. They encourage farmers to plant early and boost their production while also facilitating cover crops to reduce soil erosion. The seed treatments use a bright colour such as red, purple, blue, or bright green so that it is visible that a seed has been treated.
There is no singular approach to crop protection. Farmers today use a diverse set of tools to protect their crops, such as state-of-the-art chemicals and biological products, advanced seeds and traits, data-driven field insights, and precision technologies. Although these tools are efficient, they become even more so when combined in ways that meet farmers’ specific needs and circumstances.
