Pest infestations are the nightmare of any farmer, and combating them while complying with European sustainability regulations is becoming increasingly challenging. The Canarian company Bioagrológica has a solution: the cultivation and commercialization of indigenous natural enemies. They are the first to breed insects from the Canary Islands to combat the specific pests of the Archipelago. Acclimatized bugs that “fight” under better conditions.
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The word “pest” causes any farmer to have a stomach ache. The climatic conditions of the Archipelago make it an ideal place for these colonies of living beings to proliferate, which not only harm crops but can even wipe out entire farms. Using chemical phytosanitary products is no longer an option, as they are increasingly restricted due to the global trend towards sustainability. But all is not lost, there is another weapon to turn to: bugs. Natural enemies have been a tool used for years to combat pests on farms, but only one Canarian company has been committed since 2018 to breeding locally. The company Bioagrológica, based in Tenerife, cultivates native populations of insects to protect Canarian crops.
They carry out biological pest control with Canary species that are fully acclimatized to the Islands, allowing the bugs to “do their job” better. This is explained by the manager and one of the founding partners of Bioagrológica, Tomás Martín, an agricultural engineer who has been working with bugs for over 20 years. From his youth, he saw the potential that this technique had, but realized that it was not being embraced because the imported species used to combat the problem in the Archipelago arrived “dizzy” from transportation. “They come from far away, have to go through customs, and that ultimately affects the quality of the insects,” explains Martín, who ensures that “transport stress” has an impact on the species. Furthermore, orders were delayed, preventing the organization of “releases” on the farms.
Objective
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The agricultural engineer and his partner realized that the climatic conditions in many parts of Europe where these species were bred were very different from those in the Canary Islands, which did not favor work in the Islands. “They produce natural enemies for their pests, which do not have to be the same as the ones we have here,” clarifies the expert. No one in the Archipelago was breeding Canarian natural enemies, which prompted Bioagrológica to establish as a company in 2018. “Our objective is simple: to breed in the Canary Islands Canarian insects to solve the pests we have here in the Canary Islands,” Martín affirms.
And they are not only the only Canarian company breeding indigenous bugs, they are the only one in the world producing the Canarian species Copidosoma koehleri, a natural enemy of the potato moth. According to the agricultural engineer, one of the most difficult pests to eradicate. They are on the process. “It’s not a tool that eradicates it 100%, but with several actions and traps, we keep bothering the pest quite a bit,” he explains. But they do not only work with this species, they also produce Trichogramma achaeae, a natural enemy of lepidopterans – banana plant, potato, vegetables, grass, etc. –; Acerophagus artelles, natural enemies of the banana mealybug; and Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, a natural enemy of cottony cushion scale insects – banana plant, avocado, citrus fruits, etc. –. “We have other species in the process of being included in the biodiversity database of the Canary Islands that we will test in the near future,” says the manager of Bioagrológica.
The company’s team consists of the two partners and three other “creators.” And their work is not limited to producing the bugs; they also participate in releasing and subsequent monitoring on the farms. A quality that sets them apart from the rest of the companies. “Others leave the fridge at the door and continue with the distribution, but since we produce high-quality insects, we offer a consulting and monitoring service,” he explains. The team releases insects and checks how the species works on the plant, as many farmers are not familiar with this type of technique.
But those who are already veterans are delighted. “With some farms, we have been working for years, and some already take care of the bugs more than us,” affirms Martín, who acknowledges that it is a matter of practice. Bioagrológica works with public administrations, but also with private farmers. The company is based in Tenerife, but the managers are open to working throughout the Archipelago. Word of mouth has allowed them to gain clients. “It is not easy to dedicate yourself to this; the first ones who trusted us called us crazy,” acknowledges the agricultural engineer, who ensures that many do not dare to hire their services until they see the good results in the neighbour.
Martín states that more and more producers are opting to use natural enemies against pests, but he ensures that they demand 100% effectiveness. “When they are chemicals, they do not have such high demands and they apply the product several times, but for us, they ask us to make it work from minute one,” he explains. Something that is very complicated when working with animals. “One plus one is never two,” Martín adds. Nevertheless, the company’s manager confirms that the clients “are delighted” with the service and prices. “It is a cost that is completely affordable for farmers and it is worth it,” he affirms. The company also takes part in training and cultural events whenever the opportunity arises to promote the benefits of this technique.
For Bioagrológica, controlling their client schedule is essential. They work on a medium to long-term basis, as they organize their production based on the needs of the farms that have hired them. This way, they breed just what is necessary and avoid excessive production. “We are focused on preserving the environment and try to save as much as possible,” points out the agricultural engineer. Currently, what their clients demand the most is finding solutions to eliminate spiral whiteflies. “It is giving us a lot of trouble,” acknowledges the expert. According to Martín, the most challenging pests to eradicate are the potato moth, the banana weevil, and the fruit fly, although he assures that the crop they control the most is the banana plant, as it is the one they have worked with the most.
At the beginning of this month of April, Bioagrológica signed a collaboration agreement with the Canarian Institute of Agricultural Research (ICIA) for the implementation of the research project “Mass breeding of indigenous natural enemies of pests of special interest to the Canary Islands.” Specifically, the company will participate in projects with banana, potato, and avocado crops. With this four-year agreement, the ICIA undertakes to provide several chambers for breeding insects, and the company is responsible for supplying the bugs.
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