Pests are the nightmare of any farmer, and combating them while complying with European sustainability regulations is increasingly challenging. The Canarian company Bioagrológica has a solution: the cultivation and commercialization of native natural enemies. They are the first to breed insects from the Canary Islands to combat specific pests in the archipelago. Acclimatized bugs that “fight” under better conditions.
The word “pest” causes any farmer a stomach ache. The climatic conditions of the archipelago make it an ideal place for these colonies of living beings to proliferate, causing harm not only to crops but they can also devastate entire properties. 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 a Canarian company has been committed since 2018 to locally bred insects. The company Bioagrológica, based in Tenerife, grows native insect populations to save Canarian crops.
They carry out the biological control of pests with Canarian species that are fully acclimated 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 agronomist who has been working with bugs for over 20 years. Since 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 in the end, this affects the quality of the insects,” explains Martín, who asserts that “transport stress” has an impact on the species. Furthermore, orders were delayed, making it difficult to organize “releases” on the farms.
Objective
The agronomist 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 also did not favor work on the islands. “They produce natural enemies for their pests, which do not have to be the same as those we have here,” explains the expert. There was no one in the archipelago breeding Canarian natural enemies, which prompted Bioagrológica to establish itself as a company in 2018. “Our objective is simple: to breed Canarian insects in the Canary Islands to solve the pests we have here in the Canaries,” affirms Martín.
They are not only the only Canarian company breeding native bugs; they are the only ones in the world producing the Canarian species Copidosoma koehleri, a natural enemy of the potato moth. According to the agronomist, one of the most challenging pests to eradicate. They are in the process. “It is not a tool that eliminates it 100%, but with several actions and traps, we bother the pest quite a bit,” explains. But they do not only work with this species, they also produce Trichogramma achaeae, a natural enemy of lepidoptera – banana tree, potato, vegetables, grass, etc.; Acerophagus artelles, natural enemies of the cochineal of the banana tree; and Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, a natural enemy of cottony cochineals – banana tree, avocado, citrus, 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,” assures the manager of Bioagrológica.
The team of the company consists of the two partners and three other “creators”. Their work is not limited to producing the bugs; they also participate in the release and subsequent control on the farms. A quality that sets them apart from other companies. “Others leave the fridge at the door and go on with the distribution, but since we produce high-quality insects, we offer a consultancy and monitoring service,” he explains. The team releases and checks how the species works on the plant, as many farmers are not familiar with this kind of technique.
But those who are already veteran farmers are delighted. “We have been working with some properties for years, and some already take care of the bugs more than us,” says Martín, who admits 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 carrying out work 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 were called crazy,” admits the agronomist, who says that many do not dare to hire their services until they see good results in their neighbor.
Martín states that more and more producers are willing to use natural enemies against pests, but he ensures that they are demanded 100% effectiveness. “When they are chemicals, they are not held to such high standards, and they apply the product several times, but we are required to ensure it works from minute one,” he explains. This is something very complicated when working with animals. “One plus one is never two,” Martín adds. Nevertheless, the company’s manager confirms that clients are “delighted” with the service and prices. “It is a completely affordable cost for farmers and is worth it,” he affirms. The company also participates in training and cultural events whenever the opportunity arises to showcase the benefits of this technique.
For Bioagrológica, controlling their client agenda is essential. They work on a medium to long-term basis, organizing their production based on the needs of the farms that have hired them. This way, they breed just what is necessary, avoiding overproduction. “We are committed to conserving the environment and try to save as much as possible,” notes the agronomist. Currently, what their clients are demanding the most is finding solutions to eradicate spiraling whiteflies. “It is giving us a lot of problems,” admits the expert. For Martín, the most challenging pests to eradicate are the potato moth, the banana weevil, and the fruit fly, although he claims they have the most control over banana crops, as it is the one they have worked with the most.
In early April, Bioagrológica signed a collaboration agreement with the Canary Islands Institute of Agricultural Research (ICIA) for the research project “Mass breeding of native natural enemies of pests of special interest to the Canary Islands.” Specifically, the company will be involved in projects with banana, potato, and avocado crops. With this four-year agreement, the ICIA undertakes to provide several chambers for insect breeding, and the company is responsible for supplying the bugs.
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